Managing Anthelmintic Resistance in Cattle Sustainably
MARCS Project
Do you know which wormers are effective against gut worms in cattle on your farm?
Background
Our pasture-based production system in Ireland ensures livestock are continuously exposed to ubiquitous parasites such as gastrointestinal nematodes (gut worms), which compromise animal health, welfare and productivity. Large numbers of worms in the gastrointestinal tract negatively impact feed intake, nutrient use and production efficiency, particularly in young stock. Our farming system relies heavily on the availability of effective drugs (wormers) to control these pathogens. However, recent studies have demonstrated that worms are now becoming resistant to the drugs we use to control them (anthelmintic resistance).
MARCS Project
MARCS is a collaborative project between Teagasc, University College Dublin, Queen’s University Belfast, Animal Health Ireland and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
Project Aims
- Determine the extent of resistance to wormers on Irish cattle farms
- Identify major risk factors for the development of resistance so we can target mitigation strategies
- Use models of worm population dynamics to apply sustainable parasite control to Irish farms
Who can participate
We are looking for farms on which to test for wormer resistance. Farmers can participate directly or vets can recruit their clients as participants.
Why you should get involved
Gut worms compromise animal health, welfare and productivity. Managing worms using a highly effective wormer is key to achieving high growth rates in calves and slowing the development of further resistance.
Testing is the only way to know if a wormer is highly effective, other methods identify resistance too late. By participating in the MARCS project, valuable information about the anthelmintic resistance status of your farm or your clients’ farms will be obtained.
How to get involved
The test for resistance is a faecal egg count reduction test (FECRT). This test involves collecting individual faecal samples from a cohort of calves before and after wormer treatment and submission of the samples to the laboratory. A short survey on parasite control practices must also be completed. Full guidance on the testing protocol will be provided and the sample testing will be provided free of charge.
If you are interested in testing for anthelmintic resistance on your farm or in recruiting your farmer clients to test for resistance, complete the form by clicking the button below, or contact marcsparasitology@gmail.com
Click here to get involved in the MARCS project
Project participants
Orla Keane, Teagasc
Theo de Waal, University College Dublin
Eric Morgan, Queen’s University Belfast
Alison Burrell, Animal Health Ireland
Natascha Meunier, Animal Health Ireland
James O’Shaughnessy, Central Veterinary Research Laboratory