To treat or not to treat: diagnostic thresholds in subclinical helminth infections of cattle

Charlier, Johannes, Williams, Diana J ORCID: 0000-0001-8186-7236, Ravinet, Nadine and Claerebout, Edwin (2023) To treat or not to treat: diagnostic thresholds in subclinical helminth infections of cattle. TRENDS IN PARASITOLOGY, 39 (2). pp. 139-151.

Text Charlier_review_ver8_edited_v5_final.docx - Author Accepted Manuscript Download (245kB)

Abstract

Helminth infections of cattle place significant burdens on livestock production and farm economic efficiency. Heavy infections are relatively easy to detect and treat with anthelmintics. However, subclinical infections have major but often hidden impacts on animals, necessitating more refined diagnostics to detect them and ideally inform farmers about the likely impact of anthelmintic treatment on animal and herd performance. Here, we review recent advances in diagnosing three major cattle helminth infections - gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs), liver flukes, and lungworms - and the search for subclinical infection thresholds to guide treatment decisions. Combining refined diagnostic thresholds with farm-specific information on grazing systems and animal history enables farmers to tailor helminth treatments to specific epidemiological circumstances, thereby limiting anthelmintic resistance (AR) and boosting agricultural efficiency and food security.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Animals, Cattle, Helminths, Nematoda, Nematode Infections, Fascioliasis, Cattle Diseases, Anthelmintics, Asymptomatic Infections
Divisions:	Faculty of Health and Life Sciences Faculty of Health and Life Sciences > Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	08 Feb 2023 10:04
Last Modified:	14 Dec 2023 02:30
DOI:	10.1016/j.pt.2022.11.014
Related URLs:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3168160