Download FAMACHA© - Homestead

This presentation was originally given at the
Annual Meeting of the Bucks-Montgomery
County Wool Pool in Plumsteadville,
Pennsylvania, on March 30, 2007.
©
FAMACHA
for the control of
Haemonchus contortus
in small ruminants
SUSAN SCHOENIAN
Sheep and Goat Specialist
W. MD Research & Education Center
Maryland Cooperative Extension
www.sheepandgoat.com
Fact #1
Gastro-intestinal parasites, A.K.A. Worms, are the primary
health problem affecting sheep and goats in warm, moist
climates.
fAct #2
THE BARBER POLE WORM
IS THE PARASITE OF
PRIMARY CONCERN.
It Costs.
It kills.
Haemonchus
contortus
•
Common names: barber pole, wire worm,
large stomach worm.
•
Blood-sucking roundworm that pierces the
mucosa of the abomasum, causing blood
and protein loss to the host.
•
It needs warm (60°F), moist conditions to
complete its life cycle.
•
Pasture is the primary mode of
transmission.
– It is estimated that 80% of the worm larvae
is found in the first two inches of grazing
vegetation.
•
Young animals and highly stressed adults
are most vulnerable to its effects.
the barber pole worm Can
Be difficult to control.
1) It has a short life cycle.


On average 2 to 3 weeks
As short as 7 days
2) It has a direct life cycle.
No intermediate host is
required.
the barber pole worm CAN
be difficult to control.
3)
It is a prolific egg producer.
•
4)
It has been estimated that 20% of the flock is responsible for 80% of the egg output.
It is very adaptable.
•
It can go into a hypobiotic
(arrested) state in the animal to
survive poor environmental
conditions.
•
It can survive on pasture for a
long time.
 60 days pasture rest is
needed to reduce pasture
contamination to a low level.
 Some larvae survive over
winter.
•
It has become resistant to most
anthelmintics.
symptoms of Barber
Pole worm infection
•
•
•
•

Dead
Loss of body condition
Ill thrift
Not scours
Anemia
(pale mucous membranes)
 Edema – “bottle jaw”
accumulation of fluid under jaw
What about The other parasites?
 “Cousins” of the barber pole worm
cause digestive problems, e.g. scouring
– Ostertagia spp.
– Trichostrongylus spp.
– Nematodirus
• Tapeworms
Only worm that is visible in the feces.
• Lungworms
Difficult to detect in live animal
 Coccidia
Protozoa, major disease issue in small ruminants
 Meningeal worm
parasite of white tail deer, causes neurological symptoms
 The FAMACHA© system is not useful for any of these other parasites.
fAct #3
worms have become
resistant* to most of the
anthelmintics.
Only 3 drug families!
 Benzimidazoles
 Levamisoles
 Macrolytic Lactones
*
Anthelmintic treatment fails to reduce
worm egg count by 90%. Severe
resistance exists when anthelmintic
reduces egg count by less than 60%
Fact #4
Regular deworming of
every member of the
flock is not A
SUSTAINABLE
PRACTICE.










Monthly deworming
Deworm every month
Deworm before breeding, before
lambing, before shows, etc.
Deworm because you haven’t done it
lately.
Deworm because you’re handling the
sheep for another reason.
Deworm to prevent problems.
Deworm everybody, all the time.
Deworming to get rid of all the worms.
Deworm because you’re a good manager.
Selective deworming
Fact #5
Nowadays, worm
control requires a more
integrated approach.
Integrated Parasite Management (IPM)











Pasture rest/rotation
Safe pastures
Multi-species grazing
Management of grazing height
Alternative forages and treatments
Nutritional supplementation
Zero grazing
Within and between breed selection
Fecal egg analysis
Proper anthelmintic use
Selective deworming
What is FAMACHA©?
• A novel system for monitoring
barber pole worm infection in small
ruminants.
• Developed in South Africa due to the
widespread emergence of drug
resistant worms.
• Originally developed for South
African sheep, but has been
validated for sheep and goats in the
United States.
• Named for its originator
Dr. Francois “FAffa” MAlan CHArt
What is FAMACHA©?
• A color eye chart for evaluating
clinical anemia in sheep and
goats.
 Anemia is the primary symptom of
barber pole worm infection.
• FAMACHA© enables the
selective deworming of clinically
parasitized animals, while
leaving healthy animals
untreated.
The FAMACHA© System
Clinical
Category
Color
PCV
(hematocrit)
Deworming
recommendation
1
Red
> 28
No
2
Red-Pink
23-27
No
3
Pink
18-22
?
4
Pink-White
13-17
Yes
5
White
< 12
Yes
goats
sheep
for assessing anemia and barber pole worm infection in small ruminants
What FAMACHA© does

Reduces the number of
animals that are dewormed
(though some animals may
need treated more often).
1) Saves you money on drugs
2) Reduces chemical/drug use
3) Reduces selection for drug
resistant worms, by
increasing refugia: worms not
exposed to drug(s).
 Prolongs effectiveness of anthelmintics.
What
©
FAMACHA
does
 Identifies susceptible and resistant animals in the
flock (parasite resistance is moderately heritable).
Assists with selection and culling decisions.
Adds value to breeding stock
Keep
Cull
Cull
Sell
Sell
Sell
Sell
Keep
Cull
Keep
Keep
Sell
Keep
For FAMACHA©
to work…
• Always use the card.
• Don’t use a copy of the card.
• Replace the card every year
(colors fade).
• Check often enough (e.g.
every 2-3 weeks during the
“worm” season).
• Have an easy way to handle
your animals.
 Test for drug resistance. You
must know if an anthelmintic is
effective!
What FAMACHA© doesn’t Do
1) Eliminate the need for other
parasite control practices.
2) Save you time.
 You may deworm less
frequently, but you’ll spend more
time checking your animals.
3) Help with other potential
parasite problems
 Other GI worms
 Coccidia
 Etc.
FAMACHA© is not a magic bullet. It is another tool.
Using Famacha© to control parasites in lambs and goats grazing
summer pastures
Western Maryland Research & Education Center
2005
 84 Katahdin and Katahdin
crossbred lambs from a sire
comparison study (Suffolk,
Texel, and Dorper sires).
 ~7 lambs/acre
2006
• 31-50 Kiko, Boer, and Boer x
Kiko male kids from the Western
Maryland Pasture-Based Meat
Goat Performance Test.
• 3-5 goats/acre
2005 Lamb Study
July 11
3.5
60
Avg FAMACHA Score
# Lambs Dewormed
3
% Lambs/
No. times treated
50
2.5
40
1.2%
1.2%
2
30
1.5
4.8%
6
5
4
7.1%
3
16.7%
2
41.7%
1
26.2%
0
20
1
10
0.5
-S
ep
30
-S
ep
19
ep
2-S
g
-A
u
19
ug
5-A
l
22
-Ju
l
-Ju
11
-Ju
24
-Ju
10
n
0
n
0
5.0
30
4.5
25
4.0
Aug 4
3.5
20
3.0
15
2.5
10
2.0
29-Sep
15-Sep
31-Aug
7-Jul
Number of animals dewormed
18-Aug
1.0
4-Aug
0
21-Jul
1.5
23-Jun
5
Avg. FAMACHA(c) score
# goats
% of goats
# treatments
4
12.9
0
13
41.9
1
7
22.6
2
4
12.9
3
3
9.7
4
31
100.0
FAMACHA(C) score
35
10-Jun
Number treated
2006 Goat Study
Number of anthelmintic treatments
and average FAMACHA© Score
How do I get a FAMACHA© Card?
• FAMACHA is distributed
under the auspices of the
South African Veterinary
Association.
• U.S. distribution is made
through the SCSRPC via
the laboratory of Dr. Ray
Kaplan (University of
Georgia)
• FAMACHA cards are only
to be sold directly to
veterinarians.
• Producers are required to
take an approved training
in order to receive a card.
Southern Consortium for
Small Ruminant Parasite
Control (SCSRPC)
http://www.scsrpc.org
Questions, Comments, Disagreements?
Thank you.
Are you
done yet?
I wanna
go home.