Sheep liver condemnations in Wales due to fluke three times more than England

1st February 2012 – Sheep liver condemnations at a leading Welsh abattoir due to fluke are nearly three times that of its English counterpart, according to statistics produced by Dunbia.

Condemnations at Llanybydder abattoir, near Lampeter, have averaged 18.13% from July to December 2011, compared to a 6.65% average in the same period at Dunbia’s Preston site in Lancashire.

Dunbia, which is working with Novartis Animal Health to monitor condemnation rates, said the highest daily figure recorded so far at Llanybydder was in September when 29.9% of 4,752 sheep livers were condemned due to damage from fasciolosis.

Jim Hopkins, a veterinary surgeon with Steffan Veterinary Services Ltd in Lampeter, described the fluke problem in his area of Wales as “endemic”.

“West Wales is mild and wet which is ideal for both grass growth and mud snails which favours the liver fluke life cycle. Many lambs are out wintered and fattened on grass, exposing lambs to higher levels of liver fluke.

“This year we have had a very warm mild autumn which will have created optimum conditions for fluke to thrive,” he said.

Mr Hopkins said most of his clients were well aware of the fluke problem in the area. “Fasinex,or triclabendazole, is heavily relied upon in this area, and we encourage our farmers to test and discuss their treatment plan with us,” he said.

“The Welsh Government’s Farming Connect Scheme offers subsidised advisory and planning services for farmers, which allows us to advise and discuss individual plans and requirements,” he said.

Novartis Veterinary Advisor Saul Harvey said the figures for ovine condemnation at Llanybydder had been consistently higher than those at Preston.

“We are very concerned about the level of condemnation which is having a serious welfare and financial impact on farms in this area of Wales. I would urge farmers to be particularly vigilant about the threat of fluke, and plan with their vets and animal health advisors accordingly,” he said. “Liver fluke is dependent on snails for part of its lifecycle, and so the incidence of fluke is related to the conditions affecting the snails. Warm, wet conditions create the most favourable environment for the snails to thrive,” he said.

“A good animal health plan is essential to ensure that adequate monitoring and protection is in place.

“We would recommend that farmers deal with all stages of fluke present at the time of treatment, including the early immature and immature life stages. Products containing triclabendazole (TCBZ) kill all stages of the parasite, unlike some compounds which only control adult fluke.”

“With the mild winter we have seen an extended fluke season where we have snail activity and new infective cysts formed into late December and early January. These infective cysts are likely to survive on pasture right through February so we will still see early immature and immature fluke infections.

Novartis Animal Health produce the Fasinex range of products to deal with all stages of fluke, including dual species Fasinex 100 licensed for both sheep and cattle, with only a 35 day meat withhold in sheep, and Fasimec Duo S when fluke and worm treatment is needed,” he said.

For further information, please contact:

Novartis UK Press Office   +44 (0) 1276 698691

Simon Harris                                          Henry Creagh                                                                              

Farm Animal Product Manager              Kendalls Communications

+44 (0)1276 694437                               01394 610022

simon.harris@novartis.com                   henry.creagh@kendallscom.co.uk

About Novartis Animal Health

Novartis Animal Health researches, develops and commercializes leading animal treatments that meet the needs of pet owners, farmers and veterinarians. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland and present in nearly 40 countries, Novartis Animal Health employs approximately 2,700 people worldwide. For more information, please visit www.ah.novartis.com

About Novartis

Novartis provides healthcare solutions that address the evolving needs of patients and societies. Focused solely on healthcare, Novartis offers a diversified portfolio to best meet these needs: innovative medicines, eye care, cost-saving generic pharmaceuticals, consumer health products, preventive vaccines and diagnostic tools. Novartis is the only company with leading positions in these areas. In 2010, the Group’s continuing operations achieved net sales of USD 50.6 billion, while approximately USD 9.1 billion (USD 8.1 billion excluding impairment and amortization charges) was invested in R&D throughout the Group. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Novartis Group companies employ approximately 121,000 full-time-equivalent associates and operate in more than 140 countries around the world. For more information, please visit http://www.novartis.com.

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