Cases of sheep-aborting disease Salmonella Brandenburg in the South this year appear to be ''nothing out of the ordinary'', South Otago vet John Smart says.
While it was ''slightly worse'' than the past couple of years, cases were the lowest for a while.
It was nothing like the late 1990s, when there was a big epidemic phase. The past couple of years had been ''a bit of a trough'' and Mr Smart, of Clutha Vet, suspected there would be a ''little bit of a rise'' again.
Over about a week, he was aware of between about 25 and 30 farms being affected but it was difficult to gauge an accurate number, he said.
Since initially being found in Canterbury, Salmonella Brandenburg had gradually moved south.
Not only did it cause abortion but it also made ewes seriously ill. It was very infectious and spread easily between flocks, with black-backed gulls a major vector.
For the foreseeable future, Mr Smart expected it would always ''crop up'', and there would be a few cases, towards the end of July.