Coronavirus-enforced travel restrictions have curtailed one-to-one meetings between programme farmers and adviser Senan White, while also preventing discussion group meet-ups. Dialogue between farmers and Senan is taking place by phone and group interaction is now taking place online.

The first online group meeting took place last week and included a presentation from Eurion Thomas from the company Techion. Many readers will not be familiar with Techion, but they are likely to be aware of the company’s old name, FECPAK.

Many flocks are currently in the high-risk period, where lambs aged six to 12 weeks of age may have picked up a significant worm burden in late April/early May

Techion’s main base is in New Zealand, while Eurion heads up a strong EU and UK presence. When thinking of FECPAK, the image that might come to mind is analysing faecal egg counts (FECs) by microscope. This mechanism of analysing FECs still works perfectly, but it has been replaced by FECPAKG2, an internet-connected, image-based diagnostic platform that has been scientifically validated to conduct FECs.

Cloud-based system

It works by taking a picture of the sample, which is then uploaded to a cloud-based platform and read by a Techion analyst. Eurion says results are generally returned in the space of 20 minutes to an hour and adds that the company is working on developing a computer-based algorithm that would return results within one minute. He says he is hopeful that the company will also be in a position to release a fluke egg test in 2021.

CAFRE currently has four FECPAKG2 kits on hand for use by its advisers, with other kits located in Northern Ireland in vet premises and agri-merchants.

Nematodirus

Much of Eurion’s presentation centred on nematodirus infection in lambs. Many flocks are currently in the high-risk period, where lambs aged six to 12 weeks of age may have picked up a significant worm burden in late April/early May and are exhibiting the clinical signs of a green scour and possibly a dip in performance. If left untreated, advanced cases will give rise to a lack of appetite, dehydration and incidences of mortality.

While FECs are a reliable means of identifying adult mematodirus, there is a risk in relying on egg counts, as disease happens before adult stage.

Eurion says that changing weather patterns have resulted in different strains of worms being identified in lambs outside of their normal window of infection. For example, he said that in recent years, there has been a much earlier incidence of stronglye worms on farms in Wales.

“Strongyle worms are not a type of worm, but rather it is the collective name we give to worms generally found later in the season. Wales is similar to Northern Ireland, in that nematodirus infection is usually a risk until late May, from younger lambs picking up the infection later and also from repeat infection,” he said.

“In Wales, we have also seen strongyle worms present in faecal egg counts at a significant level that warrants treatment before the end of May and sometimes as early as April.”

“FECs are a reliable means of identifying adult mematodirus – often we pick up eggs before other signs. But there is a risk in relying on egg counts, as disease happens before adult stage.”

Because of the greater presence of strongyle worms, Eurion is advising farmers to start carrying out faecal egg counts from now on and to use this information to determine the choice of anthelmintic used.

Nematodirus infection is usually a risk until late May, from younger lambs picking up the infection later and also from repeat infection

He says that the company also promotes the use of a white drench or benzimidazole for early nematodirus treatments. However, he warns that for treatments later in the season, where nematodirus is being targeted and the presence of stronglye worms is confirmed at a level to warrant treatment, then there may be a need to alter the active ingredient.

This will be dependent on the anthelmintic resistance profile on-farm, with a high degree of issues with white-wormer anthelmintic resistance present on farms across the UK and Ireland.

Late-autumn hatch

Eurion said that Techion is also seeing a secondary hatch of nematodirus eggs in autumn on some farms. The reason for this is unclear and research is being carried out in this area.

While lambs that were exposed to the infection in spring will generally have built up an immunity, there may be a higher risk where lambs were grazing clean pasture or missed out on the peak hatch

He warned farmers to be mindful of the risk, as while lambs that were exposed to the infection in spring will generally have built up an immunity, there may be a higher risk where lambs were grazing clean pasture or missed out on the peak hatch.

Again, the use of regular FECs to determine the need to dose can help to identify the presence of nematodirus in autumn.

Optimum procedures

As well as carrying out FECs to determine the need to dose for worms, Eurion also advises farmers to carry out a faecal egg count reduction test to identify if anthelmintic resistance is an issue.

He also highlights the importance of dosing lambs to the correct weight (treat to heaviest in group or in batches if a significant range is present), calibrating dosing guns and avoiding unnecessary treatments.

With regards to the collection of faecal samples for testing, it is important to collect samples from individual groups, as there may be significant difference between sheep grazing in different areas.