An online tool developed by IGH parasitologist Dr Hannah Vineer is warning farmers to be on high alert for a potentially deadly parastitic disease that affects young lambs.
The sudden increase in temperatures in February puts earlier-born lambs at risk from the nematodirus, warns the Sustainable Control of Parasites in Sheep (SCOPS) group.
Nematodirosis, caused by the gutworm Nematodirus battus. Eggs deposited on pasture by lambs the previous year hatch together in spring, triggered by a period of chilling over winter followed by warmer weather. Young lambs take in large numbers of larvae as they graze, which damages their gut leading to severe diarrhoea, dehydration and, in some cases, death.
Their Nematodirus Forecast map is updated daily using data from more than 140 weather stations around the UK, tracking changes in risk throughout the spring and early summer. The interactive Google map allows farmers and advisers to select their nearest weather station and then provides advice on how to relate the predicted risk to their particular farm, treatment options and possible management actions. Last year it showed the ‘Beast from the East’ delayed the annual hatch and, therefore, the threat to lambs in most areas. In stark contrast, the early hatch this year poses a threat to earlier-born lambs.
Dr Vineer, who was instrumental in developing the online forecast tool for SCOPS, advises: “Moving lambs to lower risk grazing that was not grazed by lambs last spring will help to avoid a high challenge, but nematodirus eggs were commonly seen in faecal samples from sheep of all ages throughout 2018 and into early 2019, which means even land grazed by older sheep could be contaminated.
“Although faecal egg counts cannot be used to decide when to treat young lambs for nematodirus, as the damage is done by larvae that don’t produce eggs, regularly monitoring and recording faecal egg counts can help track which fields provide the safest grazing for lambs come spring.”
For more information please visit www.scops.org.uk/nematodirus