Fluke: why are British farmers paying the price?

One in five cattle in Britain is affected by liver fluke - and that, according to Merial Animal Health, is imposing a burden on Britain's beef industry of up to £23 million per year or £20 per infected animal.

Merial examined data from the Meat Hygiene Service, whose vets and meat inspectors record numbers of condemned cattle livers from abattoirs across the country. The figures appear to be in line with a suspected upward trend which suggests that, despite ongoing awareness campaigns about the dangers of fluke, incidence of the debilitating disease continues to increase.

"Fluke infection, on average, reduces the growth rate of cattle by nine per cent," says Helen White, Merial technical manager. "In severe cases, losses of as much as 1.2kg a week in growing cattle have been recorded.

"Clearly that has a dramatic effect on finishing times," she points out, "and that's something that in today's economic climate we can't afford to happen. Longer finishing times will drastically affect cattle producers' profitability.

"Cattle cost £1/day for every day longer it takes to get them away down the farm drive, so a producer's objective must be to minimise the time cattle spend on his farm beyond the target finishing date.

"And we must also consider the ever-present threat of imports, particularly those from improving producers like South America. To compete in a global market home-grown beef must differentiate itself by continuing to improve consistency, traceability and above all quality, but we won't be able to manage that if we're not managing our cattle's health adequately."

Ms White advises every beef producer to keep a 'watching eye' on fluke and take immediate action to prevent and treat any infections. Monitoring liver condemnations through the abattoir is the most effective indicator of infection within a herd, she says, and certainly more reliable than faecal or blood sampling.

She advises the adoption of simple management procedures to prevent fluke appearing in fluke-free herds. "All bought-in stock should be treated on arrival with a quarantine dose of a flukicide," she says, "and, where possible, fence-off boggy pastures and other water-logged areas. These are likely to harbour the intermediate host of the liver fluke parasite, the mud snail.

"Liver fluke disease is a year-round problem and a strategic flukicide treatment helps to break the fluke lifecycle and minimises pasture contamination. IVOMEC® Super controls external parasites and worms as well as fluke and is a convenient option. Alternatively TRODAX® Injection is extremely effective when a specific flukicide treatment is required.

"As with any treatment programme, it's best to discuss plans with your vet and so ensure best practice for your farm," concludes Ms White.