Free guide gives test v treatment costs for parasite control
© AdobeStock/Reimar
Cattle and sheep farmers can access expert information from a free guidance document to help in the fight against roundworms, liver fluke and sheep scab.
The Moredun institute and the Sheep Veterinary Society (SVS) launched the Sustainable parasite control: Test don’t guess booklet this week.
It explains how monitoring can be incorporated into farming management and includes disease and treatment information and a breakdown of testing versus treatment costs for sheep scab.
See also: Advice on testing your flock for fluke after wet weather
Information is broken down into tables and diagrams and gives insights from recent clinical industry disease control initiatives.
It includes:
Information on testing options
Roundworms
• FEC (faecal egg counts)
• Anthelmintic efficacy tests
• Post-drench checks
• Coproantigen ELISA tests
Liver fluke
• FEC
• Coproantigen ELISA (enyme-linked imunosorbent assay) tests
• Blood test
• Postmortem abattoir inspection
• Biosecurity/quarantine advice
Sheep scab
• Veterinary examination and skin scraping
• Sheep scab ELISA test
• Biosecurity/quarantine advice
Download the booklet from the Moredun website (PDF).
Monitoring tools
The Sheep Veterinary Society said: “Parasite infections are an economic, health and welfare concern in all livestock systems and many are endemic in UK flocks and herds.
“Monitoring tools need to be used much more widely if we are to control parasites sustainably, slow down the development of anthelmintic resistance, protect the treatments we have available and improve the efficiency of livestock production.”