While damp summers could prove problematic for liver fluke in livestock, it also presents a whole host of other issues such as Parasitic Gastroenteritis (PGE) and lungworm.

PGE typically occurs in fattening lambs as larvae on pasture is allowed to develop on the back of moist weather conditions. While PGE could prove to be a nuisance from mid-summer it’s likely to prove less problematic as winter comes which, according to the latest NADIS forecast, is fairly typical following wet summers.

Sheep or lambs with daggs, or those which look lean, are generally most at risk but taking a faecal egg count will determine whether PGE is a problem or not and will help farmers decide if anthelmintic treatment is needed.

Similarly, cattle can also suffer too. Stage 1 PGE (ostertagiosis) could become present in many herds, especially in growing cattle. Diarrhoea within the group is one sign that larvae have been picked up and while it may not pose a problem initially, larvae can stay inside the beast until late winter/early spring where it can become present, causing type 2 ostertagiasis). Reducing this risk can easily be done with the use of products such as Ivermectin at the time of housing.

Cattle nematodes such as lungworm also prove to be problematic and September is typically the peak month for diagnosis according to the NADIS Parasitic report.

Again faecal samples can determine whether this is a problem on most farms but with continuing rain and thunderstorms, larvae could have easily spread, infecting a large area of pasture. Consulting a veterinary surgeon should always be a first port of call.

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