Toxoplasmosis Upsurge 2007

Today the Denis Brinicombe Group launch their TOXO Tub in response to the result from FlockCheck showing a 28 per cent increase in the number of flocks exposed to toxoplasmosis, compared to the previous 12 months.

TOXO Tub, manufactured by the Group, is a licensed product suitable for the treatment of ewes that have been in contact with the disease or where there has been a failure of the vaccine or where vaccination has not been carried out.

"The TOXO Tub should be used with ewes of unknown toxoplasmosis status brought into a flock or as soon as symptoms are observed," said Noelia Yusta, MRCVS, Company Veterinarian.

"It is a self-feed product, which administers very high dosage levels of Decoquinate [Deccox], to protect all ewes not already infected by or successfully vaccinated against toxoplasmosis. Any ewes that have previously been exposed to the disease or have been vaccinated will not need to be treated as they will have built their own immunity, but any that do abort should be isolated as soon as possible away from the ewes taking the TOXO Tub.

"Each 14kg TOXO Tub, licensed for the self-feed control of toxoplasmosis, contains 4,400mg/kg Decoquinate on a mineral base. The tub has to be available throughout the last 14 weeks of pregnancy and one tub should be sufficient for 7 ewes over the treatment period distributed at a rate of 1 tub per 25 ewes. It should be used for the prevention of toxoplasmosis when ewes have been among infected sheep, with ewes of unknown toxoplasmosis status or as a precaution if a vaccine has not been used," she concluded.