Take care when rotating liver fluke products, experts warn

The key to choosing the right flukicide is understanding the differences between the actives available and the age of liver fluke parasites that need to be killed. 

This will not only reduce the risk of repeated/overuse of the same flukicide, but also ensure the best outcome for the sheep or cattle treated, according to the Sustainable Control of Parasites in Sheep (SCOPS) and Control of Worms Sustainably (COWS) groups. 

Lesley Stubbings, an independent consultant speaking on behalf of SCOPS, says: 

“In essence, we have three groups of flukicides. Triclabendazole is the only one to kill immature liver fluke, from two days in sheep and two weeks in cattle. 

“Closantel and nitroxynil kill liver fluke down to about five weeks of age, but nitroxynil can only be used in the UK if imported by vets under a VMD special import certificate. 

“Albendazole and oxyclozanide, plus clursulon for cattle and rafoxanide for sheep, kill only adult liver fluke.”

Concern over use of rafoxanide

Resistance to triclabendazole on some farms means they now rely on closantel to control immature fluke, which normally requires two treatments six to seven weeks apart. 

It is important farmers, vets and advisers realise – due to restrictions on nitroxynil – there is no alternative to closantel currently available. 

Rafoxanide, which is only licenced for sheep in the UK, is not an alternative because both closantel and rafoxanide are salicylanilide molecules and have very similar chemical structure and mode of action. 

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Ms Stubbing continues: “SCOPS and COWS are very concerned people are mistakenly thinking that by using rafoxanide they are protecting closantel. 

“The reality is quite the opposite. 

“Experts working with SCOPS and COWS agree there is evidence of cross-resistance between rafoxanide and closantel from both field and laboratory studies, and no evidence to suggest using them interchangeably will reduce the selection pressure for resistance to closantel.”

A table of flukicides and the age range of flukes they kill is available at www.scops.org.uk/internal-parasites/liver-fluke/choosing-a-flukicide-product and www.cattleparasites.org.uk/app/uploads/2023/09/liver-fluke-310823.pdf.  

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