Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Lungworm outbreaks in adult dairy cows: estimating economic losses and lessons to be learned.
- Journal:
- The Veterinary record
- Year:
- 2011
- Authors:
- Holzhauer, M et al.
- Affiliation:
- Animal Health Service · Netherlands
Plain-English summary
Two outbreaks of lungworm, a parasite that affects the lungs, were studied in dairy cows to understand the financial impact. On one farm with 110 cows, the costs were about €159 per cow, while on another farm with 95 cows, it was around €167 per cow. During these outbreaks, milk production dropped by 15 to 20 percent, and sadly, five cows died on one farm and seven on the other. A significant portion of the costs came from lost milk production and the need to dispose of dead animals, along with some expenses for treatments and tests. The study highlighted the importance of recognizing when new animals that might not have been exposed to lungworm are added to the herd, as this can help in taking preventive measures like vaccination to avoid future outbreaks.
Abstract
Two lungworm outbreaks in dairy herds were investigated in order to estimate the resulting economic costs. On the two farms, with 110 and 95 cows, total costs were estimated at €159 and €167 per cow, respectively. Overall, milk production reduced by 15 to 20 per cent during the outbreaks. Five cows died on one farm, while on the other farm seven cows died as a result of the lungworm outbreak. On one farm, 51.7 per cent of the total costs was due to reduced milk production and 33.1 per cent was due to disposal of dead animals. On the other farm, it was 36.3 and 50.9 per cent, respectively. The remaining 13 to 15 per cent of the total costs were due to extra inseminations, laboratory diagnosis and treatments. The history and development of the outbreaks are described. One lesson from these outbreaks is that recognising that potentially lungworm-naïve animals are to be introduced into the adult herd allows for timely measures (for example, vaccination) to prevent a lungworm outbreak.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21856653/