Liver fluke infection caused by Fasciola hepatica is a widespread parasitic disease causing significant welfare impacts in cattle and sheep, with chronic infection leading to weight loss, reduced production, liver condemnation, and in severe cases death.
Liver fluke causes genuine suffering: chronic pain from liver inflammation, fatigue from anaemia, nutritional depletion, and in acute cases, respiratory distress and rapid deterioration. Sub-clinical infections that fall below the detection threshold still impair welfare through reduced feed conversion and immune competence. Control requires integrated approaches including strategic anthelmintic treatment, drainage of wet pastures, snail habitat management, and use of diagnostic monitoring to guide treatment timing. The emergence of triclabendazole resistance underscores the need for prudent anthelmintic stewardship and investment in alternative control methods. Welfare-conscious producers monitor fluke burden through annual faecal egg counts and abattoir feedback.