Understanding and controlling liver fluke infection in cattle to protect liver function and welfare.
Liver fluke causes a spectrum of welfare impacts from acute fatal disease to chronic debility. Acute fasciolosis, caused by massive larval migration through the liver parenchyma, causes severe haemorrhagic hepatitis. Affected cattle show acute abdominal pain, rapid deterioration, and death within days. The suffering during acute disease is extreme.
Chronic fasciolosis is more insidious but equally significant for welfare. Persistent fluke infection causes progressive liver fibrosis, bile duct damage, and protein loss. Affected animals lose body condition despite adequate nutrition, develop anaemia, and show submandibular oedema (bottle jaw) from hypoproteinaemia. The chronic malnutrition and debility associated with heavy fluke burdens represents significant sustained welfare impairment.
Strategic anthelmintic treatment, targeting appropriate stages of fluke development, combined with avoidance of high-risk areas and snail habitat management, provides effective welfare protection. Resistance to triclabendazole is an emerging concern requiring careful strategic use.