An Integrated Parasite Control Framework for Ruminants

寄生虫如果得不到有效控制，会对牛羊的生产力、健康和福利产生重大影响。牛羊吃草时会染上寄生虫，如蛔虫。这些寄生虫通常通过用驱虫药治疗整个羊群或牛群来控制，该驱虫药可以防止感染或在寄生虫造成损害之前杀死寄生虫。然而，这种控制寄生虫的方法导致了对所用药物的耐药性，这意味着寄生虫不再被治疗杀死。在本项目中，我们将确定如何改善寄生虫病的控制，以减少耐药性的影响和传播。我们将重点关注在羊胃和肠道中发现的蛔虫寄生虫，因为羊蛔虫种群中普遍存在驱虫药耐药性，这对英国的养羊业构成了越来越大的威胁。为了实现这一目标，我们将首先与农民，兽医和注册动物医学顾问建立合作伙伴关系，农民需要什么，使他们能够在农场中整合新的寄生虫控制策略。其次，使用数学模型，我们将确定可用于改善农场寄生虫控制的新选项。这些模型将建立在现有的数学模型基础上，并进一步发展，以包括农场和牲畜管理数据以及个体动物体内的寄生虫负担。通过这种方式，可以在农场推广之前评估特定干预措施对寄生虫负担的影响，例如选择严重寄生的个体动物进行治疗或改变为基于群体的牧场管理系统。该项目的产出将是更好地了解是什么阻碍农民采用新的寄生虫控制方法，其次将提出可用于农场的新选择，以改善寄生虫控制。

Parasites, if they are not controlled effectively, have a major impact on the productivity, health and welfare of sheep and cattle. Cattle and sheep pick up parasites, such as roundworms, whilst they graze. These parasites are normally controlled by treating the whole flock or herd with a worming medicine that either prevents infection or that kills the parasites before they cause damage. However, this type of approach to parasite control has resulted in the development of resistance to the medicines used, meaning the parasites are no longer killed by the treatment. In this project we will identify ways in which the control of parasitic diseases could be improved to reduce the impact and spread of resistance. We will focus on roundworm parasites found in the stomach and intestines of sheep, since anthelmintic resistance is prevalent in sheep roundworm populations, and it is a growing threat to the sheep industry in the UK.To achieve this aim we will first establish in partnership with farmers, vets and Registered Animal Medicine Advisors, what farmers need enable them to integrate new parasite control strategies on their farms. Secondly, using mathematical models, we will identify new options that could be used to improve parasite control on farms. These models will build on existing mathematical models and develop them further to include farm and stock management data together with parasite burdens within individual animals. In this way the impact on parasite burden of specific interventions such as selecting heavily parasitised individual animals to treat or changing to a mob-based pasture management system can be assessed before they are rolled out onto farms. The outputs from the project will be a better understanding of what inhibits farmers from adopting new approaches to parasite control and secondly will present new options that could be used on farms to improve parasite control.