Browsing by Author "Uehlinger, Fabienne D."

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    Parasite Control Strategies on Cow-Calf Operations: A Systematic Review of Pharmaceutical Interventions against Gastrointestinal Nematodes in Pre-weaned Beef Calves and Qualitative Exploration of Producers' Perspectives
    (2023-07) Agbese, Samuel Peter; Windeyer, Claire M.K.; Gilleard, John S.; Ritter, Caroline Manuela Nancy; Uehlinger, Fabienne D.
    Parasitism poses a significant threat to the health and productivity of grazing livestock globally and is a primary contributor to diseases in these animals. To ensure the long-term viability of cow-calf operations, it is imperative to adopt and implement strategies for controlling parasites. In Alberta, Canada, one of the most common parasite control strategies is the use of pharmaceutical interventions (i.e., anthelmintics). However, the summarized information on the existing evidence on the effectiveness of pharmaceutical interventions in controlling gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) in pre-weaned beef calves, as well as how parasite control strategies are perceived by cow-calf producers in Alberta, are unknown. The objective of the first study was to assess the current scientific literature on the effectiveness of pharmaceutical interventions on cow-calf operations to treat or control GIN in pre-weaned beef calves as measured by a reduction in fecal egg count. The review found that, of the 29 included articles, only 5 used the fecal egg count reduction test (FECRT) to evaluate the effectiveness of pharmaceutical interventions for treating GIN. The drugs assessed in the 5 articles included albendazole, fenbendazole, doramectin, eprinomectin, and ivermectin. Studies focusing on benzimidazole drugs consistently reported FECRT values above 96% with evidence of greater effectiveness than the macrocyclic lactone drugs, which reported a range of FECRT from 15% to 93%. This was the first study to assess and compile the existing literature on the effectiveness of pharmaceutical interventions in controlling GIN in pre-weaned beef calves. In the second study, the objective was to explore cow-calf producers’ perceptions about on-farm parasite control strategies and to describe the on-farm parasite control practices implemented by these respondents. Cow-calf producers in Alberta, Canada were sent a questionnaire to recruit interview participants and to identify their current parasite control strategies. Fifteen respondents were interviewed via telephone to explore their perceptions of parasite control strategies and rationale for the acceptance or rejection of parasite control practices. The study revealed that the majority of cow-calf producers rely on pharmaceutical parasite control products, and price was not the main factor in product selection. A lack of familiarity with some parasite control strategies was noted, such as pasture management, where producers often viewed parasite control as secondary or not at all when it came to pasture management, with the management of the grass being the main factor they emphasized. Additionally, veterinarians had influence over parasite control decisions but were not a major source of information on fecal sampling procedures, suggesting a need for improved communication.
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    Regional heterogeneity and unexpectedly high abundance of Cooperia punctata in beef cattle at a northern latitude revealed by ITS-2 rDNA nemabiome metabarcoding
    (2022-01-06) De Seram, Eranga L.; Redman, Elizabeth M.; Wills, Felicity K.; de Queiroz, Camila; Campbell, John R.; Waldner, Cheryl L.; Parker, Sarah E.; Avramenko, Russell W.; Gilleard, John S.; Uehlinger, Fabienne D.
    Abstract Background The species composition of cattle gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) communities can vary greatly between regions. Despite this, there is remarkably little large-scale surveillance data for cattle GIN species which is due, at least in part, to a lack of scalable diagnostic tools. This lack of regional GIN species-level data represents a major knowledge gap for evidence-based parasite management and assessing the status and impact of factors such as climate change and anthelmintic drug resistance. Methods This paper presents a large-scale survey of GIN in beef herds across western Canada using ITS-2 rDNA nemabiome metabarcoding. Individual fecal samples were collected from 6 to 20 randomly selected heifers (n = 1665) from each of 85 herds between September 2016 and February 2017 and 10–25 first season calves (n = 824) from each of 42 herds between November 2016 and February 2017. Results Gastrointestinal nematode communities in heifers and calves were similar in Alberta and Saskatchewan, with Ostertagia ostertagi and Cooperia oncophora being the predominant GIN species in all herds consistent with previous studies. However, in Manitoba, Cooperia punctata was the predominant species overall and the most abundant GIN species in calves from 4/8 beef herds. Conclusions This study revealed a marked regional heterogeneity of GIN species in grazing beef herds in western Canada. The predominance of C. punctata in Manitoba is unexpected, as although this parasite is often the predominant cattle GIN species in more southerly latitudes, it is generally only a minor component of cattle GIN communities in northern temperate regions. We hypothesize that the unexpected predominance of C. punctata at such a northerly latitude represents a range expansion, likely associated with changes in climate, anthelmintic use, management, and/or animal movement. Whatever the cause, these results are of practical concern since C. punctata is more pathogenic than C. oncophora, the Cooperia species that typically predominates in cooler temperate regions. Finally, this study illustrates the value of ITS-2 rDNA nemabiome metabarcoding as a surveillance tool for ruminant GIN parasites. Graphical Abstract