Fluke: why is it such a problem this year?

The Beef Edge

Dr. Natascha Meunier, Beef HealthCheck Programme Manager, is on this week’s Beef Edge podcast to discuss how to control liver fluke effectively and understand it better.

Liver fluke is estimated to cost at least €90m to the Irish industry through reduced production and Natascha highlights how the incidence of liver fluke on this year’s Beef HealthCheck reports have doubled from 1% to 2%:

https://animalhealthireland.ie/programmes/beef-healthcheck/beef-healthcheck-online/

Each year, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) in collaboration with Met Éireann, UCD, Teagasc and Animal Health Ireland advises farmers of the predicted risk of disease caused by liver fluke (Fasciola hepatica) infection in livestock for the following winter.

This year’s forecast, based on meteorological data gathered between May and October 2024 by Met Éireann, predicts infection being most prevalent in the west and northern half of the country, with a somewhat lower disease prevalence in the southeast of the country.

Further details here:

https://www.gov.ie/ga/preasraitis/48ce4-liver-fluke-forecast-november-2024/

Natascha explains that while the Beef Health Check report is retrospective, it’s important to review when cattle are finished if the health plan is working.

Natascha also discusses the importance of faecal sampling and the different treatment options. It’s important for farmers to be vigilant especially if liver fluke has never been an issue on their farm in the past and she explains how rumen fluke can be identified and when to take action.

With the majority of stock housed in the past few weeks, Natascha advises in relation to respiratory issues, anthelmintics and importance of housing ventilation and air quality.

For further information on AHI Liver Fluke - The Facts:

https://www.animalhealthireland.ie/ckfinder/userfiles/files/Animal%20Health%20Liver%20Fluke%206pp-web(1).pdf

For more episodes from the Beef Edge podcast, visit the show page at:
https://www.teagasc.ie/thebeefedge

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