Teladorsagia circumcincta, commonly known as the brown stomach worm can be a big threat for sheep and goats.
It was previously known as Ostertagia circumcincta but was recently found to have differences to this worm found in cattle.
As its common name suggests, this parasite is found in the abomasum. It burrows into the stomach wall and causes significant inflammation and damage, leading to weight loss and diarrhoea. The larvae can also embed within the stomach wall and spend weeks to months in an inhibited phase, before exiting to finish development. This can lead to a sudden spike in numbers. It doesn’t tend to produce as high egg counts compared to other worms, which can make it to determine how significant the burden is.
Other features of this parasite are that larvae can survive on pasture on freezing conditions for some time over winter, and can quickly develop resistance to drenches, as the adult worms tend to not live for very long. Careful drenching is therefore essential to managing this parasite. For more advice around drenching protocols for your property, get in touch today.
