Bayer Animal Health looks at parasite study

Bayer Animal Health has looked at a study showing no clinical evidence that watering fields can lead to increased levels of parasitic disease in cattle.

Dr N Kemper and Dr C Henze are both from Christian-Albrechts University in Kiel and conducted their investigations on the German North Sea coast.

Over the course of three years, they examined whether or not re-wetting pastures had an impact on the number of vital edoparasites that occurred in cattle.

Eimeria spp, nematode, trematode eggs and lungworm larvae were the main organisms the researchers were testing for.

Bayer Animal Health quoted the authors of the paper explaining the frequency of the first two parasites did not increase.

The findings also found “the important parasites liver fluke and lungworm have as yet not been affected at all by re-wetting measures”.

Extended periods of observations are now required to examine any long-term effects.

Last week, Bayer Animal Health highlighted a report published in the Veterinary Journal that demonstrated how infrared thermography could be used as a screening tool for foot-and-mouth disease.