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Background: Farm management practices have a major impact on nematode population dynamics. The presented study aimed to understand current nematode management practices on UK sheep farms; with a particular focus on Nematodirus battus because of the changing epidemiology, and emerging anthelmintic resistance observed in this species., Methods: A 42 question online survey covering grazing management, farm demographics and parasite control strategies was developed and distributed to the farming community in 2016. Analysis of the 187 completed questionnaires explored regional variations in practices., Results: Uptake of recommendations was variable, particularly quarantine practices and monitoring tools. Results also highlighted variation in the epidemiology of N. battus; respondents in the north (Scotland, north-west and north-east England) typically reported N. battus in spring with a perception of more severe clinical symptoms than those from the south (Midlands, Wales, south-east and south-west England; p = 0.03). Farms in the south observed greater changes in the timing of disease (p = 0.006) with N. battus being reported throughout the year on some holdings and more frequent use of faecal egg count monitoring (p = 0.006)., Conclusions: Control of N. battus infection is challenging and 'one-size-fits-all' advice is not applicable; however, the information gathered will enable the development of effective, adaptable control strategies., (© 2021 British Veterinary Association.)

Jan van Dijk, RCVS specialist in veterinary parasitology, describes how data can be used to both increase understanding of trends in equine helminth abundance and drive better treatment of individual horses., (© 2021 British Veterinary Association.)

Background: Clinical disease caused by the bovine lungworm ( Dictyocaulus viviparus ) causes significant welfare and economic problems for the livestock industry. Anecdotal reports suggest that the number of clinical cases has increased, particularly in Northern England and Scotland. However, these spatiotemporal changes have not been quantified and the current impact that the disease is having across Great Britain remains unclear., Methods: Here, we report a retrospective analysis of the spatial distribution, seasonality and age of lungworm cases reported by the Veterinary Investigation Diagnosis Analysis database from 1975 to 2014., Results: A sharp overall increase in the dictyocaulosis diagnostic rate (DR, cases / 1000 submissions) was observed, with, for example, median 2010-2014 DR 3.5 times as high as 1980-1984 DR. Such increases were most pronounced for Scotland, which became the region with the highest proportion of cases by 2009. Cases were increasingly diagnosed during the winter months (December-February)., Conclusion: The apparent spatiotemporal changes in lungworm epidemiology pose new challenges to cattle farmers in Great Britain. Farmers and veterinarians need to remain vigilant for this disease and consider it as a possible cause for milk production losses at any time of the year. Awareness levels may have to be raised particularly in northern England and Scotland., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© British Veterinary Association 2020. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ.)

Background: The English setter (ES) is predisposed to congenital sensorineural deafness (CSD). CSD prevalence and association with phenotype in the UK ES population are previously unreported., Methods: The database of the authors' institution was searched for ES puppies undergoing brainstem auditory evoked response (BAER) testing for CSD screening (2000-2018). Inclusion criteria were BAER performed at 5-10 weeks of age, testing of complete litters and available phenotypic data. The age, sex, presence of patches at birth, coat colour, iris colour, hearing status and BAER-determined parental hearing status of each puppy were recorded. Multivariable binary logistic regression was performed to determine the significance of these variables as predictors for the likelihood of puppies being unilaterally or bilaterally deaf., Results: Inclusion criteria were met for 447 puppies. Hearing was bilaterally normal in 427 (95.5 per cent) puppies. The prevalence of unilateral and bilateral CSD was 3.6 per cent and 0.9 per cent, respectively. Females were 3.3 times more likely to be deaf than males, and puppies with both parents of unknown hearing status were 4.6 times more likely to be deaf than those with at least one normal parent., Conclusion: The prevalence of CSD was 4.5 per cent, with female puppies and those with two parents of unknown hearing status at greatest risk., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© British Veterinary Association 2019. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Options for diagnosing Fasciola hepatica infection in groups of cattle are limited. Increasing the opportunities for herd-level diagnosis is important for disease monitoring, making informed treatment decisions and for flukicide efficacy testing. The sensitivity of a simple sedimentation method based on composite faecal samples for the detection of fluke eggs in cattle was assessed through a combination of experimental and statistical modelling techniques. Initially, a composite sample method previously developed for sheep was used to investigate the sensitivity of composite sample testing compared with individual counts on the same samples in cattle. Following this, an optimised, validated, qualitative (presence-absence) composite sample field test was developed for cattle. Results showed that fluke egg counts obtained from a composite sample are representative of those expected from individual counts. The optimal sampling strategy was determined to be 10 individual 10 g samples (100 g composite sample) from which a 10 g subsample is taken for sedimentation. This method yielded a diagnostic sensitivity of 0.69 (95 per cent CI 0.5 to 0.85). These results demonstrate the validity and usefulness of a composite faecal egg sedimentation method for use in the diagnosis and control of F. hepatica in groups of cattle, with the caveat that a negative test should be followed up with a second test due to limitations relating to test sensitivity., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© British Veterinary Association 2019. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ.)

In the future, the UK farming industry will have to meet increased demands against a background of higher levels of uncertainty., Jan Van Dijk: argues that solely promoting the intensification of current farming systems is a high-risk strategy, whereas diversification of farming systems offers sustainability as well as opportunities for vets., (British Veterinary Association.)