Spatiotemporal trends in cattle lungworm disease (Dictyocaulus viviparus) in Great Britain from 1975 to 2014

BackgroundClinical disease caused by the bovine lungworm (Dictyocaulus viviparus) causes significant welfare and economic problems for the livestock industry. Anecdotal reports suggest that the number of clinical cases has increased, particularly in Northern England and Scotland. However, these spat...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Veterinary record Vol. 186; no. 19; p. 642
Main Authors: McCarthy, Catherine, van Dijk, Jan
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: England BMJ Publishing Group Limited 27.06.2020
Blackwell Publishing Ltd
BMJ Publishing Group
Subjects:
Animals
Bias
Cattle
Cattle Diseases - epidemiology
Cattle industry
Dictyocaulus (lungworm)
Dictyocaulus Infections - epidemiology
Dictyocaulus viviparus
disease surveillance
England
Epidemiology
Gastroenteritis
Histopathology
incidence
Laboratories
livestock and meat industry
lungworms
Milk production
Original Research
ostertagia
Parasites
Parasitic diseases
parasitology
Pathology
Retrospective Studies
Scotland
Spatio-Temporal Analysis
Trends
United Kingdom - epidemiology
Veterinary medicine
United Kingdom
England
Scotland
United Kingdom > UK
Wales
ostertagia
cattle
disease surveillance
incidence
Dictyocaulus (lungworm)
parasitology
ISSN:0042-4900, 2042-7670, 2042-7670
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:BackgroundClinical disease caused by the bovine lungworm (Dictyocaulus viviparus) causes significant welfare and economic problems for the livestock industry. Anecdotal reports suggest that the number of clinical cases has increased, particularly in Northern England and Scotland. However, these spatiotemporal changes have not been quantified and the current impact that the disease is having across Great Britain remains unclear.MethodsHere, we report a retrospective analysis of the spatial distribution, seasonality and age of lungworm cases reported by the Veterinary Investigation Diagnosis Analysis database from 1975 to 2014.ResultsA sharp overall increase in the dictyocaulosis diagnostic rate (DR, cases / 1000 submissions) was observed, with, for example, median 2010–2014 DR 3.5 times as high as 1980–1984 DR. Such increases were most pronounced for Scotland, which became the region with the highest proportion of cases by 2009. Cases were increasingly diagnosed during the winter months (December–February).ConclusionThe apparent spatiotemporal changes in lungworm epidemiology pose new challenges to cattle farmers in Great Britain. Farmers and veterinarians need to remain vigilant for this disease and consider it as a possible cause for milk production losses at any time of the year. Awareness levels may have to be raised particularly in northern England and Scotland.
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ISSN:0042-4900
2042-7670
2042-7670
DOI:10.1136/vr.105509