| Quarantine dosing: Marts join in new initiative against worms |  |  |
 A major new campaign to tackle anthelmintic wormer resistance, which is threatening productivity and profitability in sheep flocks across the UK, was launched by a leading animal health company in livestock auction marts in August.
The latest Novartis Animal Health initiative will highlight the need for producers to practice quarantine dosing when they buy sheep, to remove worm burdens before moving them on to their land.
This is seen as an important way to help slow down the spread of wormer resistance which is threatening sustainable sheep farming in the UK and is supported by the authoritative SCOPS (Sustained Control of Parasites in Sheep) group.
In an effort to get this vital message across to as many producers as possible, Novartis will be sponsoring activities at 30 different venues ranging from Carlisle to Llandovery from August 6 and running through to October and delivering its “quarantine dosing for sustainable sheep farming” message at the same time.
“It’s essential that all UK sheep farmers consider quarantine dosing when they buy sheep and then do something about it before those animals are moved on to the farm” said Novartis vet and product manager Simon Harris.
“It is important to eradicate all the worms, including resistant worms which the animals may be carrying, before they arrive on, and possible contaminate your farm. Once quarantine dosed it takes 24-48 hours for any eggs to be passed through the animal, so dosing them at marts before they are taken to the farm is ideal. If this is not possible the animals should be dosed immediately on arrival with Zolvix, and kept on hard standing for 24-48 hours before turnout.
“We will have advisers at the marts taking part in this initiative to explain why quarantine dosing is so important for the health and welfare of sheep, as well as to maintain production and slow down the spread of anthelmintic resistance in worms.”
Mr Harris pointed out that the new “orange drench” Zolvix was the most effective quarantine drench, because it contained a new active ingredient (monepantel) which made it effective against all gastro-intestinal roundworms, including those already resistant to the traditional classes of drench – white (benzimidazole or 1-BZ), yellow (levamisole or 2-LV) and clear (macrocyclic lactone or 3-ML).
Developed by Novartis and launched in the UK earlier this year, Zolvix is the first of a novel class of wormers and focuses on a new molecular target found only in gastro- intestinal nematodes, allowing it to remove resistant worm burdens in the sheep, and affords it an excellent safety profile, he added.
There have been 30 livestock auction markets involved in the campaign. The dates and locations for the remaining are listed below.
For further information about Zolvix telephone: 01276 694402 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
