Downloaded from http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/ on December 28, 2015 - Published by group.bmj.com
News & Reports
endemic diseases
Raising awareness of sustainable management of liver fluke in sheep SHEEP farmers appear confused about the best course of action to take against liver fluke in their flocks, the results of a recent survey have revealed. The survey was coordinated by the pharmaceutical company Elanco, and was conducted in conjunction with the Moredun Research Institute, Fiona Lovatt of the sheep veterinary consultancy Flock Health, and George Milne, sheep farmer and development officer for the National Sheep Association. ‘The objective of the survey was to discover the extent and impact of liver fluke on farm and identify the reality of how farmers, alongside vets and suitably qualified persons (SQPs), are managing this parasite,’ said Eugene Smyth from Elanco. The responses from 220 sheep farmers from the UK and Republic of Ireland were discussed by a panel of industry representatives, chaired by John FitzGerald, secretary general of the Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture Alliance (RUMA). Elanco reports that the responses indicated a need for better awareness of sustainable liver fluke management, and for this to be translated into practical action, communicated with clear, straightforward messages. 246 | Veterinary Record | September 12, 2015
Matt Colston, a veterinary surgeon with Elanco, said: ‘Looking at the results, there is clearly confusion about the best course of action and a large requirement for support from SQPs, vets and the wider industry to help develop knowledge among farmers.’ Elanco reports that the panel of industry representatives were surprised by the low percentage of respondents (56 per cent) who said that they had experienced liver fluke on their farms in the past five years. Dr Lovatt commented: ‘This is a hard number to believe, especially given that 2012/13 was a particularly wet summer following a mild winter. Liver fluke burden in this year was described as an animal health and welfare crisis. If this survey had been completed off the back of that period, while it was at the forefront of people’s minds, I would have expected a much higher response.’ The survey also indicated that respondents had limited understanding of the different stages of the life cycle of Fasciola hepatica, but that a majority knew that autumn and winter was the period when liver fluke had most impact on a farm. In addition, a high percentage of farmers were unsure about what stage of the fluke life cycle was treated by different active
ingredients in anthelmintics. For example, 78 per cent of respondents did not know the stage treated by closantel, and 90 per cent were unaware of the timings for use. For triclabendazole, 61 per cent of respondents were unaware of the stage of fluke that it treated, and 79 per cent were unsure of the season they would expect to use it. For albendazole, 79 per cent did not know the stage treated and 89 per cent were unaware of the times for use. The company suggests that this indicates a need for clear messaging about which products will be most effective and when. Just over half of the respondents said that they sought advice from a vet or SQP on which product to use. ‘The challenge for the industry is to make liver fluke understandable; experts can be guilty of assuming knowledge when farmers have many other things to think about,’ says Elanco, adding, ‘There is a requirement to deliver practical messaging to farmers at the right time of year.’ It says that it is also essential to focus on ensuring that vets and SQPs are fully up to date with testing options and the latest advice. doi: 10.1136/vr.h4793
Downloaded from http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/ on December 28, 2015 - Published by group.bmj.com
Raising awareness of sustainable management of liver fluke in sheep Veterinary Record 2015 177: 246
doi: 10.1136/vr.h4793 Updated information and services can be found at: http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/177/10/246.2
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Notes
To request permissions go to: http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions To order reprints go to: http://journals.bmj.com/cgi/reprintform To subscribe to BMJ go to: http://group.bmj.com/subscribe/
News & Reports
endemic diseases
Raising awareness of sustainable management of liver fluke in sheep SHEEP farmers appear confused about the best course of action to take against liver fluke in their flocks, the results of a recent survey have revealed. The survey was coordinated by the pharmaceutical company Elanco, and was conducted in conjunction with the Moredun Research Institute, Fiona Lovatt of the sheep veterinary consultancy Flock Health, and George Milne, sheep farmer and development officer for the National Sheep Association. ‘The objective of the survey was to discover the extent and impact of liver fluke on farm and identify the reality of how farmers, alongside vets and suitably qualified persons (SQPs), are managing this parasite,’ said Eugene Smyth from Elanco. The responses from 220 sheep farmers from the UK and Republic of Ireland were discussed by a panel of industry representatives, chaired by John FitzGerald, secretary general of the Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture Alliance (RUMA). Elanco reports that the responses indicated a need for better awareness of sustainable liver fluke management, and for this to be translated into practical action, communicated with clear, straightforward messages. 246 | Veterinary Record | September 12, 2015
Matt Colston, a veterinary surgeon with Elanco, said: ‘Looking at the results, there is clearly confusion about the best course of action and a large requirement for support from SQPs, vets and the wider industry to help develop knowledge among farmers.’ Elanco reports that the panel of industry representatives were surprised by the low percentage of respondents (56 per cent) who said that they had experienced liver fluke on their farms in the past five years. Dr Lovatt commented: ‘This is a hard number to believe, especially given that 2012/13 was a particularly wet summer following a mild winter. Liver fluke burden in this year was described as an animal health and welfare crisis. If this survey had been completed off the back of that period, while it was at the forefront of people’s minds, I would have expected a much higher response.’ The survey also indicated that respondents had limited understanding of the different stages of the life cycle of Fasciola hepatica, but that a majority knew that autumn and winter was the period when liver fluke had most impact on a farm. In addition, a high percentage of farmers were unsure about what stage of the fluke life cycle was treated by different active
ingredients in anthelmintics. For example, 78 per cent of respondents did not know the stage treated by closantel, and 90 per cent were unaware of the timings for use. For triclabendazole, 61 per cent of respondents were unaware of the stage of fluke that it treated, and 79 per cent were unsure of the season they would expect to use it. For albendazole, 79 per cent did not know the stage treated and 89 per cent were unaware of the times for use. The company suggests that this indicates a need for clear messaging about which products will be most effective and when. Just over half of the respondents said that they sought advice from a vet or SQP on which product to use. ‘The challenge for the industry is to make liver fluke understandable; experts can be guilty of assuming knowledge when farmers have many other things to think about,’ says Elanco, adding, ‘There is a requirement to deliver practical messaging to farmers at the right time of year.’ It says that it is also essential to focus on ensuring that vets and SQPs are fully up to date with testing options and the latest advice. doi: 10.1136/vr.h4793
Downloaded from http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/ on December 28, 2015 - Published by group.bmj.com
Raising awareness of sustainable management of liver fluke in sheep Veterinary Record 2015 177: 246
doi: 10.1136/vr.h4793 Updated information and services can be found at: http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/177/10/246.2
These include:
Email alerting service
Receive free email alerts when new articles cite this article. Sign up in the box at the top right corner of the online article.
Notes
To request permissions go to: http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions To order reprints go to: http://journals.bmj.com/cgi/reprintform To subscribe to BMJ go to: http://group.bmj.com/subscribe/
