Warning : Haemonchus Infection
Over the last week, we have diagnosed a number of cases of Haemonchus Contortus (Barber’s pole worm) in sheep flocks across the county.
This worm acts differently to most gut worms – it attaches itself to the stomach lining and sucks the blood from sheep, causing anaemia. In most cases, no scouring is seen but sheep become thin, weak, bottle jawed and collapse when stressed. Sudden death can also occur. Older sheep are just as susceptible as lambs.
Faecal egg counts can be used to diagnose a high worm egg count. This could indicate a concern for haemonchus. In-house faecal egg counts are available at Melton and Lutterworth. However, to identify haemonchus specifically, samples need to be sent to external labs which can mean results take slightly longer to return.
Gaining information this year can help plan your worming strategy for coming years; focusing on the right product to use at the right time.
