Parasitic mites attacking the skin, causing wool loss, hide damage and eventual death if not treated.
Scab in sheep was increasing since dipping controls were eased in the late 1980s in the UK. The government abandoned compulsory dipping in 1992. By 1995, the increasing prevalence of sheep scab became one of the most significant welfare problems facing the species. Scab and other pests were wiping about 15 per cent off the annual value of UK sheepskins. A damaged skin was worth only £1 or £2 to the farmer compared with £6 to £7 for a good one. Scab was affecting about 20 per cent of 90,000 sheep farms in the UK.