“Very different year” prompts liver fluke advice
30th October 2024
High rainfall means spell of low liver fluke levels could be over, experts say.
Cattle and sheep farmers shouldn’t be complacent about liver fluke this autumn, after high rainfall and unpredictable weather patterns.
This is according to experts at SCOPS and COWS, who say a run of dry springs and hot, dry summers have lulled us into a false sense of security.
There have been relatively low levels of liver fluke and production losses across most of the country in recent years as a result.
However, Moredun’s Dr Philip Skuce, speaking on behalf of SCOPS and COWS, commented:
“This year is shaping up to be quite different.
“It was very wet in some places this summer and autumn has seen rainfall well above average.
“Although temperatures have been quite cool, they have generally been high enough to allow fluke stages to develop across the country.”
Test don’t guess
According to the provisional NADIS Liver Fluke Forecast this autumn, there is a medium to high risk on the west coast, all the way from North Wales up to northern Scotland.
Elsewhere the risk is relatively low, but NADIS’s John Graham warns:
“With the unpredictable weather patterns, it is difficult to say with certainty how this will translate into individual on-farm risk.
“It has been relatively wet and mild this year, so it is likely snail habitats, and therefore liver fluke, will be more widespread on farms than in previous dry summers.
“The mantra of ‘test don’t guess’ is going to be key.”
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Clinical cases of acute fluke since September
Dr Skuce agreed, saying there is potential for the fluke population to build up this autumn into what is the traditional peak fluke season.
Veterinary surveillance at APHA supports this with reports of clinical cases of acute fluke since September, he added.
“Testing remains the best option to cope with the unpredictability of fluke risk on an individual farm, avoiding treatments that are unnecessary or too early, while also making sure animals are treated in time to minimise any production losses,” he explained.
“Routine testing will help you make informed decisions around the need to treat, the best product to use and also how well that treatment has worked, all of which will help in the sustainable control of liver fluke on-farm,” he concluded.
SCOPS and COWS offer a guide on how best to use the available liver fluke tests:
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