The Department of Agriculture is warning Donegal farmers of the increased risk of cattle contracting Liver Fluke this winter.
According to the latest data, the Ollerenshaw index rates the county as having the highest risk in the country. The index is a predictive model using meteorological data gathered by Met Éireann. The data is to evaluate the climatic conditions in a season which affect liver fluke development.
Each year, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) in collaboration with Met Éireann, UCD, Teagasc and Animal Health Ireland advises farmers of the predicted risk of disease caused by the Liver Fluke infection in livestock for the following winter. This year’s forecast is based on meteorological data gathered between May and October 2024 by Met Éireann.
“The Ollerenshaw Summer Index 2024 predicts infection being most prevalent in the west and northern half of the country, with a somewhat lower disease prevalence in the southeast of the country,” a department spokesperson said.
The Ollerenshaw Index which reveals Donegal is at the greatest risk of Liver Fluke.
The Beef HealthCheck programme, run in partnership with Meat Industry Ireland, collects and reports liver fluke information in cattle at slaughter from participating meat factories nationwide. While liver fluke levels have generally remained low for the last few years, this year has seen the first increase since the programme began in 2016. To date this year, abattoir examinations showed an average of 39% of herds with at least one animal with liver fluke damage. Active infection in one or more animals was seen in 17% of herds, compared to only 13% last year. “Counties in the northwest of Ireland were more heavily affected, with 70-80% of herds in Sligo, Leitrim, Roscommon and Donegal reported to have signs of liver fluke at slaughter,” the spokesperson added.
It is important for farmers to know whether liver fluke is present on their farm and to treat accordingly to avoid production losses. The Beef HealthCheck reports can be a useful tool to understand liver fluke challenge on-farm and are available to farmers on the ICBF website (beefhealthcheck.icbf.com) for those who have slaughtered animals at a participating factory since 2016. Visit https://shorturl.at/kyIZ7 for county level maps of liver fluke infection levels and further details on the programme.
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