Pfizer sponsor PGE warning

The National Animal Disease Information Service (Nadis) has issued a warning to beef farmers to be aware of the risk of parasitic gastroenteritis (PGE), especially if they are growing autumn-born calves.

PGE – also known as gut worms – is often overlooked, the organisation told publication the Farmers Guardian.

Nadis, which is a group sponsored by a number of animal health firms including Merial and Pfizer, explained that autumn-born calves are especially vulnerable to the worms as they have often not had a chance to build up immunity before being housed for winter.

“Health planning by the farmer’s veterinary surgeon is very important to prevent PGE and lungworm disease and may include both strategic anthelmintic treatment and lungworm vaccination,” Nadis told the newspaper.

In the most recent parasite forecast published by Nadis, it warned that incidence is often very high when spring is late as it delays larvae hatching until the lambs are consuming larger amounts of grass.