title: Chasing helminths and their economic impact on farmed ruminants.
abstract: Global agriculture will be required to intensify production from a shrinking natural resource base. Helminth infections of ruminants are a major constraint on efficient livestock production. The current challenge is to develop diagnostic methods that detect the production impact of helminth infections on farms in order to target control measures and contribute to the global challenge of preserving food security. We review here our understanding of the effects of helminth infections and control practices on productivity and the diagnostic tools that can inform on this. By combining advances in helminth laboratory diagnostics and animal health economics, sustainable management of helminth infections can be integrated into the whole-farm economic context.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Parasitology and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium. Electronic address: johannes.charlier@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Charlier
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Parasitology and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium; Social Sciences Unit, Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research (ILVO), Burgemeester Van Gansberghelaan 115, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium; Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Bio-Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Gent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Mariska
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van der Voort
authors.affiliation: Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik, EH26 0PZ, UK.
authors.forename: Fiona
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kenyon
authors.affiliation: Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik, EH26 0PZ, UK.
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Skuce
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Parasitology and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jozef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vercruysse
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic / Q000469:parasitology*; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000191:economics / Q000469:parasitology; D016266:Food Parasitology; D006374:Helminthiasis, Animal / Q000191:economics* / Q000469:parasitology*; D006376:Helminths; D012418:Ruminants / Q000469:parasitology*; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000191:economics / Q000469:parasitology
keywords: cattle; diagnosis; farm economics; helminth; production impact; sheep