CO-ADAPT: Adaptive management of endemic coinfections in ruminant livestock under climate change

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Livestock are commonly infected by many different species of parasite (termed coinfections), and yet parasite control generally focuses on one species or a limited group of related species. The core goal of COADAPT is to achieve impact by improving ability to predict, measure and target coinfections in the field, and supply tools for exploitation and application - to enhance the competitiveness and sustainability of the UK farming industry and to reinforce internationally leading capabilities in predictive biology and digital decision support tools for parasite control. We focus on parasitic and gastrointestinal coinfections in grazing ruminants because they are universally common, frequently production-limiting, and often inappropriately targeted. Changes in seasonal patterns of infection and increasing antiparasitic drug resistance impose major limitations on future ability to manage impacts on production, emissions and animal welfare. The key challenge is to be able to manage coinfections adaptively, calibrating interventions accurately to infection status and impact, using limited chemical inputs to obtain the best response. This will require alignment with prevailing risks, and effective support of on-farm decisions.