Sustainable parasite control: Test don't guess!

PARASITE infections are an economic as well as an animal health and welfare concern in livestock systems. Many parasites are endemic in the UK and in this factsheet we explore the control of three major parasites, roundworms, liver fluke and sheep scab, focusing on their sheep and cattle hosts. It is important to remember that our livestock may have one or more of these parasites at any one time and often in combination, and this can have a severely limiting effect on a wide range of different production parameters,

Why do I need to monitor parasite burden?

• By focusing on the benefits of monitoring we will illustrate:
• The importance of using monitoring tools in parasite control
• The benefits of monitoring for improved livestock production
• How monitoring can save money on wasted or ineffective treatments, reduce the frequency of treatments and optimise treatment timing and product choice
• What monitoring tools are available for the three parasite groupsHow and when the use of these tools can help in the control of these diseases
• How they can slow down the development of parasite resistance to treatments

The chemicals we use for the control of these parasites can sometimes be the same products, but can be formulated differently and applied at different times of year for maximum effect. Through careful use of monitoring tools, we can prolong the efficacy and useful life of available chemicals used to treat parasites, ensuring that they remain useful in the future when we need