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Integrating fasciolosis control in the dry cow management : the effect of closantel treatment on milk production

(2012) PLOS ONE. 7(8).
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Abstract
The liver fluke Fasciola hepatica is a parasite of ruminants with a worldwide distribution and an apparent increasing incidence in EU member states. Effective control in dairy cattle is hampered by the lack of flukicides with a zero-withdrawal time for milk, leaving the dry period as the only time that preventive treatment can be applied. Here, we present the results of a blinded, randomized and placebo-controlled trial on 11 dairy herds (402 animals) exposed to F. hepatica to 1) assess the effect of closantel treatment at dry-off (or 80-42 days before calving in first-calving heifers) on milk production parameters and 2) evaluate if a number of easy-to-use animal parameters is related to the milk production response after treatment. Closantel treatment resulted in a noticeable decrease of anti-F. hepatica antibody levels from 3-6 months after treatment onwards, a higher peak production (1.06 kg) and a slightly higher persistence (9%) of the lactation, resulting in a 305-day milk production increase of 303 kg. No effects of anthelmintic treatment were found on the average protein and fat content of the milk. Milk production responses after treatment were poor in meagre animals and clinically relevant higher milk production responses were observed in first-lactation animals and in cows with a high (0.3-0.5 optical density ratio (ODR)), but not a very high (>= 0.5 ODR) F. hepatica ELISA result on a milk sample from the previous lactation. We conclude that in dairy herds exposed to F. hepatica, flukicide treatment at dry-off is a useful strategy to reduce levels of exposure and increase milk production in the subsequent lactation. Moreover, the results suggest that treatment approaches that only target selected animals within a herd can be developed based on easy-to-use parameters.
Keywords
SEROPREVALENCE, RISK, ASSOCIATION, CATTLE, HERDS, ELISA, LACTATION MODEL, BOVINE FASCIOLIASIS, DAIRY-COWS, HEPATICA ANTIBODY-LEVELS

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MLA
Charlier, Johannes, et al. “Integrating Fasciolosis Control in the Dry Cow Management : The Effect of Closantel Treatment on Milk Production.” PLOS ONE, vol. 7, no. 8, 2012, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0043216.
APA
Charlier, J., Hostens, M., Jacobs, J., Van Ranst, B., Duchateau, L., & Vercruysse, J. (2012). Integrating fasciolosis control in the dry cow management : the effect of closantel treatment on milk production. PLOS ONE, 7(8). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0043216
Chicago author-date
Charlier, Johannes, Miel Hostens, Jos Jacobs, Bonny Van Ranst, Luc Duchateau, and Jozef Vercruysse. 2012. “Integrating Fasciolosis Control in the Dry Cow Management : The Effect of Closantel Treatment on Milk Production.” PLOS ONE 7 (8). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0043216.
Chicago author-date (all authors)
Charlier, Johannes, Miel Hostens, Jos Jacobs, Bonny Van Ranst, Luc Duchateau, and Jozef Vercruysse. 2012. “Integrating Fasciolosis Control in the Dry Cow Management : The Effect of Closantel Treatment on Milk Production.” PLOS ONE 7 (8). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0043216.
Vancouver
1.
Charlier J, Hostens M, Jacobs J, Van Ranst B, Duchateau L, Vercruysse J. Integrating fasciolosis control in the dry cow management : the effect of closantel treatment on milk production. PLOS ONE. 2012;7(8).
IEEE
[1]
J. Charlier, M. Hostens, J. Jacobs, B. Van Ranst, L. Duchateau, and J. Vercruysse, “Integrating fasciolosis control in the dry cow management : the effect of closantel treatment on milk production,” PLOS ONE, vol. 7, no. 8, 2012.
@article{3032894,
  abstract     = {{The liver fluke Fasciola hepatica is a parasite of ruminants with a worldwide distribution and an apparent increasing incidence in EU member states. Effective control in dairy cattle is hampered by the lack of flukicides with a zero-withdrawal time for milk, leaving the dry period as the only time that preventive treatment can be applied. Here, we present the results of a blinded, randomized and placebo-controlled trial on 11 dairy herds (402 animals) exposed to F. hepatica to 1) assess the effect of closantel treatment at dry-off (or 80-42 days before calving in first-calving heifers) on milk production parameters and 2) evaluate if a number of easy-to-use animal parameters is related to the milk production response after treatment. Closantel treatment resulted in a noticeable decrease of anti-F. hepatica antibody levels from 3-6 months after treatment onwards, a higher peak production (1.06 kg) and a slightly higher persistence (9%) of the lactation, resulting in a 305-day milk production increase of 303 kg. No effects of anthelmintic treatment were found on the average protein and fat content of the milk. Milk production responses after treatment were poor in meagre animals and clinically relevant higher milk production responses were observed in first-lactation animals and in cows with a high (0.3-0.5 optical density ratio (ODR)), but not a very high (>= 0.5 ODR) F. hepatica ELISA result on a milk sample from the previous lactation. We conclude that in dairy herds exposed to F. hepatica, flukicide treatment at dry-off is a useful strategy to reduce levels of exposure and increase milk production in the subsequent lactation. Moreover, the results suggest that treatment approaches that only target selected animals within a herd can be developed based on easy-to-use parameters.}},
  articleno    = {{e43216}},
  author       = {{Charlier, Johannes and Hostens, Miel and Jacobs, Jos and Van Ranst, Bonny and Duchateau, Luc and Vercruysse, Jozef}},
  issn         = {{1932-6203}},
  journal      = {{PLOS ONE}},
  keywords     = {{SEROPREVALENCE,RISK,ASSOCIATION,CATTLE,HERDS,ELISA,LACTATION MODEL,BOVINE FASCIOLIASIS,DAIRY-COWS,HEPATICA ANTIBODY-LEVELS}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{8}},
  pages        = {{7}},
  title        = {{Integrating fasciolosis control in the dry cow management : the effect of closantel treatment on milk production}},
  url          = {{http://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0043216}},
  volume       = {{7}},
  year         = {{2012}},
}

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