JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (RFD News) — Large animal veterinarians are warning producers about liver flukes, a parasite they say is quietly impacting cattle herds across much of the country.
Dr. Jody Wade with Boehringer Ingelheim says liver flukes have now been found in animals across more than half of U.S. states, including places where producers historically did not have to worry about them.
“They actually call it the fluke signer. It’s a diagnostic test that we can submit when we do routine fecal exams. So, if we’re looking for nematodes, we can also check the box and ask them to look for flukes while they’re there as well. It’s interesting where we’re seeing it. We’re seeing it show up in a number of places where we really haven’t seen it before, because in the haven’t seen it before. Because in the past, you know, most folks thought it was a gulf coast type issue or a northwest top issue, where we knew that, because of the weather conditions, that liver flukes are prominent.”
Wade says treatment options are available, but there are limitations with the products currently on the market.
“There’s only two products out there in the marketplace right now that’s really effective against liver flukes. And the unfortunate part is, both products only kill the adult phase, so we don’t do anything for the immature stages. But if we can stop the adult phase and keep those guys from putting those eggs back in the packet on pastures so the cattle can pick up again, we can really reduce the number of little flutes that are out on those pastures.”
Veterinarians say untreated liver flukes can lead to weight loss, lower fertility and reduced milk production in some animals.
Wade encourages producers to work with their veterinarians to develop a parasite control plan if liver flukes are suspected within a herd.
