About the speaker – Eric Morgan
Eric Morgan qualified in 1997 and after a short period in mixed practice completed a PhD at the University of Warwick on parasite epidemiology and ecology, joining Bristol Veterinary School in 2003. There he further developed research interests in parasite transmission and sustainable control and taught parasitology to veterinary students, moving to Queen’s University Belfast in 2017. He is author or co-author of more than 150 peer-reviewed papers on this subject, many on helminths in grazing ruminants, and particularly seeks to understand the impact of weather and climate change on infection patterns and how these can be managed. As Diplomate of the European Veterinary Parasitology College and core group member of the international initiatives Combating Anthelmintic Resistance in Ruminants and the Livestock Helminth Research Alliance, he contributes to the development of sustainable parasite control strategies and their translation into practice, including through COWS. When not at work he is to be found on a bog or a boat.
Synopsis
For decades, helminths of cattle have had a tough time, crushed by the weight of prophylactic anthelmintic treatments and occasionally rearing their heads to cause production loss. Currently, however, they are looking forward to a new golden age. Anthelmintic resistance and concerns over the environmental impacts of parasiticides are driving routine repeated whole-group treatments into the past, while farm management for environmental sustainability also offers plenty of up-side to worms. Producers are faced with more complex choices, with serious implications for profitability, and so veterinary practitioners now find parasites back on their radar.
This one-day course will first recap fundamental knowledge of the drivers of helminth epidemiology in cattle (dairy and beef), and what has changed in the evidence base and the situation. Then, apply this understanding to the current challenges posed by drug resistance and environmental change. The objective is to provide the foundation needed to guide management for increased sustainability while avoiding negative health and production impacts; as well as to problem-solve deteriorating outcomes of current control strategies.
Key topics:
- Impacts of gut-worms, lungworm and fluke on cattle health and production
- Effects of climate and weather on helminth epidemiology
- Anthelmintic resistance, how to measure it, and what to do when it is found
- Managing worms using grazing management and planned immunity
- Targeted treatment using diagnostic indicators and its limitations
- Environmental considerations in worm control
- Novel control methods, e.g. bioactive plants, biological control and vaccines
- Devising accessible, farm-specific tools for change
