The Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) has forecast a high risk of liver fluke infection in sheep and cattle this autumn and winter.

The advice to farmers is to review fluke control programmes with their vet. Flukicide treatments should target the appropriate stages of the parasite, with products effective against both immature and adult flukes used during autumn months.

Sheep farmers should treat animals once or twice in autumn with a possible follow-up in January. AFBI suggest a further treatment targeting adult flukes in early spring.

Farmers should also check treatment effectiveness by dung sampling three to four weeks after dosing.