7 September 2011

1 minute read

Europe

Infection with Toxocara vitulorum was identified in a small suckler herd, following the submission to AHVLA-Langford of a large white worm for identification.

The worm had been passed by a pre-weaned calf which had not been thriving as expected.

The source of the infection with T.vitulorum was not established. The suckler herd had not brought any animals onto the farm for several years, and there was no direct contact between the cattle and either buffalo or bison.

One possibility was that the farmer, who worked two years previously in a wildlife park, may have accidentally introduced the infection into his herd via contaminated clothing.

T. vitulorum is mainly found in tropical and subtropical regions, where it is a common parasite of waterbuffalo and Zebu cattle and is considered a low-level zoonosis.

It was first detected in Great Britain in a beef herd in South-West Wales in 2007 and has since been detected in Scotland in 2008 and in England in 2009, although the number of reported cases remains very low.

AHVLA continues to work with the industry to ensure farmers are aware of the disease and appropriate preventive measures.

TheCattleSite News Desk