AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by Dr. Adriano Vatta, a clinical professor of parasitology at the Louisiana State University College of Veterinary Medicine. The three important parasite species in cattle include Ostertagia, Haemonchus and Cooperia, as well as liver flukes. Vatta reviews the importance of the life cycle of these parasites; the most important aspect of the life cycle is that most of it is on pasture. It is also important for veterinarians to consider climate, geography and season. Vatta explains that to mitigate resistance, we do not want to treat cattle when parasite levels are low on pasture which is contrary to what we have previously been taught. 

Vatta reviews the major classes of anthelmintics available for treating internal parasites in cattle and the importance of ensuring accurate dosing to increase effectiveness as well as decrease the risk of resistance. A major factor in mitigation of resistance to anthelmintics is to utilize refugia in treatment and control programs. Refugia is the proportion of the worm population that is not treated. Utilizing fecal egg counts to determine when cattle need dewormed, as well as performing a fecal egg count reduction test to monitor resistance and efficacy, is an important service for veterinarians to offer beef cattle clients. Vatta walks through some practical tips for performing these tests as well as how to manage the number of animals selected for non-treatment as they enter the chute. 

Vatta also discusses opportunities for future research to improve the practicality and compliance of performing fecal egg counts. Veterinarians have an excellent opportunity to ensure that producers are getting value from the anthelmintic products that they purchase. 

Ray M. Kaplan, Matthew J. Denwood, Martin K. Nielsen, Stig M. Thamsborg, Paul R. Torgerson, John S. Gilleard, Robert J. Dobson, Jozef Vercruysse, Bruno Levecke,

World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology (W.A.A.V.P.) guideline for diagnosing anthelmintic resistance using the faecal egg count reduction test in ruminants, horses and swine, Vet Parasitol. 2023;Vol. 318. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2023.109936

Fecal Egg Count Reduction homepage https://www.fecrt.com/