title: A survey of helminth control practices on sheep farms in Great Britain and Ireland.
abstract: A telephone survey of 600 farmers throughout Great Britain and Ireland was conducted in order to characterise helminth control practices, and identify factors correlated with perceived anthelmintic failure. Overall, 93% of surveyed farmers routinely treated their sheep against nematodes, 67% against liver fluke and 58% against tapeworms. Anthelmintic resistance in nematodes was perceived by farmers to be present on 10% of farms. Farmers who dosed ewes at mating were more likely to have observed anthelmintic failure, than those who were aware of national guidelines on parasite control. However, objective assessment of anthelmintic efficacy had only been undertaken on 19% of farms. Ewes were treated at mating and lambing on 63% and 62% of farms, respectively. On average, lambs were treated 3.6 times annually, depending on geographical region and on dates of lambing and finishing. Although 'quarantine' treatments were widely administered to bought-in stock, these were appropriately applied in only 3% of cases. This study provides baseline data against which the impact of future anthelmintic information campaigns can be assessed; it will facilitate the development of rational, farm-level mathematical models in support of sustainable parasite control, and will aid in the design of farm management practices that prolong the effective lifespan of novel classes of anthelmintic.
authors: School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Woodland Road, Bristol BS8 1UG, UK. eric.morgan@bristol.ac.uk
authors: E R
authors: ER
authors: Morgan
authors: B C
authors: BC
authors: Hosking
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Burston
authors: K M
authors: KM
authors: Carder
authors: A C
authors: AC
authors: Hyslop
authors: L J
authors: LJ
authors: Pritchard
authors: A K
authors: AK
authors: Whitmarsh
authors: G C
authors: GC
authors: Coles
mesh_terms: D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000818:Animals; D000871:Anthelmintics / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000145:classification / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003625:Data Collection; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006374:Helminthiasis, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007494:Ireland / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017211:Treatment Failure; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000871:Anthelmintics