Research article - Peer-reviewed, 2021
Treatment against helminths in Norwegian sheep: a questionnaire-based survey
Gravdal, Maiken; Robertson, Lucy J.; Tysnes, Kristoffer R.; Hoglund, Johan; Chartier, Christophe; Stuen, SnorreAbstract
A questionnaire was distributed to 5487 farmers throughout Norway in order to obtain information about management practices regarding helminth infections in sheep. In addition, the farmers' perceptions of helminths and anthelmintic efficacy were investigated. Most farmers (80%) treated prophylactically against nematodes, and 24% also used prophylactic treatment against Fasciola hepatica. Overall, few farmers (11%) used parasitological analysis as a tool to assess the timing of treatment, but rather based it on other factors such as previous experience (70%). In the surveyed sheep flocks, the use of benzimidazoles was reduced from 2018 (52%) to 2019 (47%) (p < 0.01), whereas the use of macrocyclic lactones increased from 2017 (23%) to 2019 (36%) (p < 0.001). Poor anthelmintic efficacy was suspected by 10% of the farmers, and 11% reported that helminths were an increasing problem in their flocks. The majority of farmers (72%) considered their veterinarian as the most important advisor for treatment of parasites, but reported a high level of uncertainty regarding which parasites were present in their flocks, with unknown status most frequently reported for Haemonchus contortus (71.5%). This is probably related to the fact that very few farmers (15%) regularly test their animals for parasites. The present study provides up-to-date information on treatment practices for helminths in Norwegian sheep flocks.Keywords
Anthelmintic resistance; Sheep; Questionnaire survey; Parasite control; Liver fluke; Gastrointestinal nematodesPublished in
Parasite2021, volume: 28, article number: 63
Publisher: EDP SCIENCES S A
Authors' information
Gravdal, Maiken
Norwegian University of Life Sciences
Robertson, Lucy J.
Norwegian University of Life Sciences
Tysnes, Kristoffer R.
Norwegian University of Life Sciences
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Biomedical Science and Veterinary Public Health
Chartier, Christophe
INRAE
Stuen, Snorre
Norwegian University of Life Sciences
UKÄ Subject classification
Clinical Science
Publication Identifiers
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1051/parasite/2021061
URI (permanent link to this page)
https://res.slu.se/id/publ/113592