Almost half of Irish herds have animals with signs of liver fluke
To Liver Is And Of West The Country Be Most Infection Half Fluke In Northern Predicted The Prevalent
There is an increased risk of cattle contracting Liver Fluke this winter, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has advised farmers countrywide.
The forecast is based on meteorological data gathered between May and October by Met Éireann and the Department, in collaboration with UCD, Teagasc and Animal Health Ireland.
Liver fluke infection is predicted to be most prevalent in the west and northern half of the country, with a somewhat lower disease prevalence in the southeast, according to the Ollerenshaw Summer Index.
The Beef HealthCheck programme, run in partnership with Meat Industry Ireland, collects and reports liver fluke information in cattle at slaughter from participating meat factories nationwide.
While liver fluke levels have generally remained low for the last few years, 2024 has seen the first increase since the programme began in 2016.
Counties in the northwest were more heavily infected, with 70-80% of herds in Sligo, Leitrim, Roscommon and Donegal reported to have signs of liver fluke at slaughter.
The prevalence within herds is typically low depending on the farm with 7% of animals presented to slaughter showing signs of liver fluke damage and 2% of animals showing live liver fluke parasites.
Livestock owners should be vigilant for any signs of illness or ill-thrift in their animals and consult with their private veterinary practitioner (PVP) if they are concerned.
In cases where the cause of death is not obvious, the Department recommends that carcasses be referred by a PVP to the local Regional Veterinary Laboratory for post-mortem examination.
In areas of high risk and on farms where liver fluke infection has been diagnosed or where there is a prior history, livestock owners should consult with their PVP to devise an appropriate control programme.
