22 Apr 2025
Jenny Allan
Job Title
Image: Clara / Adobe Stock
Parasite control measures have traditionally been dominated by the routine, continuous use of parasiticides in the cattle sector – particularly youngstock.
Common examples include treating cattle on a four-week to six-week schedule throughout the grazing season or, in more recent years, by using prolonged release “seasonal control” products.
However, product residues in the environment, development of parasiticide resistance and lack of natural immunity are becoming concerns from the use of these products.
Integrated parasite management (IPM) describes a package of preventive measures such as vaccination, diagnostics and pasture management aimed at reducing livestock exposure to parasite contaminated pasture. These measures aim to reduce the amount of parasiticides needed through a grazing season.
Parasiticide residues excreted can harm the invertebrate life that inhabits dung1,2. When livestock are treated with parasiticide, the residue from these are excreted via the faeces.
Invertebrates – particularly dung beetles which normally inhabit dung pats within a few hours – are especially vulnerable, affecting species diversity and functional reproduction2-5.
Invertebrates are vital in maintaining soil health, with dung beetles being a keystone species in the soil ecosystem. Sixty species of dung beetle are present in the UK and approximately 50% are nationally scarce or threatened6; one study estimated them to be worth £367 million in services to topsoil7. Dung beetles recycle organic matter from faeces into the top soil layer, aid water retention, aerate the soil, provide a vital food source8,9, reduce nuisance fly breeding sites and lower methane emissions10,11. Recent emerging reports exist of residues of parasiticides being found in groundwater supplies12, potentially leading to concerns about human health impacts, too.
Parasiticides in rivers have also come under the spotlight13, and some ivermectin-based products found in waterways are remaining harmful for longer than originally thought14,15. As it stands, little UK-based research exists around the impact of livestock parasiticides products on waterways16,17; however, this research area is rapidly evolving.
At The Dung Beetle Conference held at Yeo Valley in June 2024, monitoring parasiticides was one of the agreed “actions needed” discussed in workshops, attended by many sector representatives from the livestock industry. The Pesticide Collaboration report that has assisted development of government targets also highlights the need for measuring usage18.
The ability to measure and monitor parasiticide usage data over time will support the drive to encourage targeted treatment protocols to ensure the long-term sustainability of these parasiticide products. From 2014 to 2019, the UK livestock industry reduced its antibiotic use by 50%, greatly facilitated by the University of Nottingham’s antibiotic calculator19. Until now, no such tool has been available for parasiticides.
Jenny Allan at Herd Health Consultancy and Rob Howe collaborated to design and develop a methodology and tool to enable parasiticide products used in cattle to be objectively measured and benchmarked.
The tool focuses not only on amount of parasiticide used, but also how the other key IPM areas being implemented. It enables recognition of good practice and evidence-based decision making related to prevention, monitoring and treatment. This encourages adoption of best-practice targeted parasiticide use while minimising the risk of knee-jerk cessation of treatment, which is important for promoting good animal welfare and productivity.
The tool is formulated of two sections: question-based review focusing on decision making and calculations including two novel metrics to measure the amount of parasiticide used.
It is important that all three elements of IPM were represented to create a holistic method, enabling producers and veterinary professionals to identify weaker areas in preventive actions or highlight where some additional diagnostics are needed, all working towards appropriate reduction in parasiticide use where opportunities exist.
The tool was presented at BCVA Congress on 18 October 2024, with a full paper on the methodology to be published in the near future.
Overall, availability of parasiticide use data would initiate the drive for change and reduction.
This area is fast becoming a priority for multiple supply chain stakeholders, and this tool will provide a starting point to gather data to understand and reduce usage of parasiticides in livestock.
The tool has been developed by:
