A few issues back, we talked about the confusing world of tapeworms. So, our title is slightly mischievous because the “pig tapeworm” is in fact a human tapeworm (Taenia solium) i.e. the adult tapeworm lives in the small intestine of the human host (referred to by scientists as the definitive host because it carries the adult stage). Larval T. solium form muscle cysts in the intermediate host, the pig, just like sheep measles do. However, the catch is that if humans consume eggs excreted in the faeces from other infected humans the resultant larvae can form nodules in their tissues. Now they have become the intermediate host. A baffling case occurred when cerebral infections due to tapeworm larvae were found in Orthodox Jewish patients in New York in the early 1990s. Turns out that all patients employed T. solium-infected housemaids from Central America, and that these maids were almost certainly the source of their cerebral infections. You can read all about it here.
Should have washed their hands before preparing the food!
Introduction by Paul Nilon, Nilon Farm Health, Tasmania
A client rang me with an unusual situation: in over 20 years he had never had lice in his flock of more than 20,000 sheep in spite of bush runs with multiple neighbours (hard to maintain fences) and sharing a town boundary with backyard sheep owners. Here is what he did: it serves as a good model on how to react and contacting me was only to get a second opinion:
This thoughtful response ticks all the boxes: isolation, inspection, risk assessment (including budgeting) and selecting appropriate treatments for knockdown and off-shears. The decisions you take may be different, for instance, you may not treat all mobs off shears. >> Read more.
Introduction by Paul Nilon, Nilon Farm Health, Tasmania
Contributors to WormBoss hammer the importance of using combination drenches, preferably when all of the actives have high efficacy. The rationale is explained here. This is not an excuse for not having a drench test: just the best way to use test results.
In my part of the world (northern Tasmania) thinking on combination drenches is limited to white and clear (these drenches are likely to be unsatisfactory), or triple mectins (more likely to work, but heavily reliant on the mectin component). So, it is timely to reconnect with some of the less used combinations that are highly likely to work. All drench information can be garnered at the drenches page. Just follow the drop-down menus on the left.
There are other 'combos' available, but these are the neglected ones for a variety of reasons. Remember, the best use of any drench relies on current drench resistance data. >> Read more.
Introduction by Paul Nilon, Nilon Farm Health, Tasmania
The dearth of registered anthelmintics for goats is worrying given their vulnerability to worms. Although copper oxide was covered in the last missive, in this 3-minute section (8:10-11:30) the inimitable Sandra Baxendell gives 2 alternatives to drenching (copper oxide and Barbervax®) and also explains FAMACHA© and differences between sheep and goats in body condition scoring. >> Read more.
Introduction by Paul Nilon, Nilon Farm Health, Tasmania
The May edition linked to Geoff Lindon’s Paraboss presentation on how to select for increased resistance to flystrike. In the same lecture (8:55–12:44)Geoff gives a 3.5-minute exposé on how to use the MERINOSELECT search engine. Now there is no excuse to not find rams that tick the boxes for flystrike resistance and your other performance priorities. Make your sheep Nike sheep and "just do it!" >> Read more.