Diseases & Solutions
Lice & Mites
Cattle are affected by a number of external parasites. The main negative with these is a disruption of daily routines – animals spend time scratching as opposed to eating, ruminating or resting. If the problem is pronounced enough, there can be a reduction in performance as intake is affected. However, there are also some species of external parasites that spread important diseases. Lice and mites are the main ecto-parasites of commercial significance for producers in the UK and Ireland.
The characteristic symptom of infection with lice or mites is scratching, hair loss and a roughening of the coat. It’s important to note that these parasites can be a sign of an underlying problem, an upset animal will spend less time grooming themselves. Their coat will subsequently become scruffy and parasites can proliferate.
Cattle are affected by a number of external parasites. The main negative with these is a disruption of daily routines – animals spend time scratching as opposed to eating, ruminating or resting. If the problem is pronounced enough, there can be a reduction in performance as intake is affected. However, there are also some species of external parasites that spread important diseases. Lice and mites are the main ecto-parasites of commercial significance for producers in the UK and Ireland.
The characteristic symptom of infection with lice or mites is scratching, hair loss and a roughening of the coat. It’s important to note that these parasites can be a sign of an underlying problem, an upset animal will spend less time grooming themselves. Their coat will subsequently become scruffy and parasites can proliferate.
Lice
Lice are very common on cattle and low to moderate rates of infection are normal and shouldn’t cause concern. However, they can multiply and spread rapidly in indoor situations as animals come into frequent physical contact with other, infected animals. Thick winter coats provide the perfect environment for lice development and reproduction. As this coat is shed in the spring, parasite numbers dwindle. Direct exposure to sunlight also reduces lice proliferation rates.
Lice can be easily observed on light-coloured cattle in warm weather or when a hand is rested on the animal’s top line, as movement will be obvious. Lice eggs resemble a powder and are also quite obvious when hair is parted.
Lice complete their whole life cycles on our animals and can only survive for a very short period of time in the environment. There are two types of lice on cattle, biting and sucking lice. Biting lice (Bovicola bovis -pictured) have huge heads and feed mainly on skin and hair. They can usually be found across the whole animal. An adult will be around 2mm in length and reddish brown in colour.
There are three species of sucking lice. These latch onto and pierce the skin, feeding on blood. In heavy infestations these can cause anaemia. Linognathus vituli, or the long-nosed cattle louse have small narrow heads and large bodies. They cluster together and predominate on the neck and head of the animal. They are known transmitters of tick fever (redwater) and ringworm. Haematopinus eurysternus, known as the short-nosed louse are much larger than biting lice and commonly affect the head of the animal. The little blue cattle louse (Solenopotes capillatus) similarly congregate on the head of the animal but can spread across the body in a severe infestation.
Mange
There are three types of mange in cattle, though chorioptic mange (Chorioptes bovis) is typically the most common found in Ireland and the UK. Mange is caused by mites that penetrate the skin, causing irritants and leading to lesions. They feed on skin secretions, blood and lymphatic fluid and severe dermatitis is the main initial symptom, with hair loss, crusty skin, lesions and sores following in heavy infestations. The mite lifecycle can be completed in as little as two weeks. While spreading between animals normally occurs via animal-to-animal contact, contaminated housing or equipment can also facilitate it.
Visual effects are typically confined to the tail head and lower body but have been known to manifest in other areas on the animal. Mite populations are normally highest during the winter.
There are two treatment options for controlling lice and mites in cattle, Synthetic Pyrethroids (SP) and topical or injectable Macrocyclic Lactones (ML). The SP active ingredients are deltamethrin, permethrin, cypermethrin and alpha-cypermethrin. These are all effective against lice, though some resistance issues have been identified in the UK. To date, permethrin is the only SP with a licence to treat mange. In terms of MLs, active ingredients include ivermectin, eprinomectin, moxidectin and doramectin. Pour on formulations are most effective, as injections may not completely eradicate biting lice and mange populations.
Use the solutions below with our Best Practice and FAQ sections to make good decisions on external parasite control.
Lice
Lice are very common on cattle and low to moderate rates of infection are normal and shouldn’t cause concern. However, they can multiply and spread rapidly in indoor situations as animals come into frequent physical contact with other, infected animals. Thick winter coats provide the perfect environment for lice development and reproduction. As this coat is shed in the spring, parasite numbers dwindle. Direct exposure to sunlight also reduces lice proliferation rates.
Lice can be easily observed on light-coloured cattle in warm weather or when a hand is rested on the animal’s top line, as movement will be obvious. Lice eggs resemble a powder and are also quite obvious when hair is parted.
Lice complete their whole life cycles on our animals and can only survive for a very short period of time in the environment. There are two types of lice on cattle, biting and sucking lice. Biting lice (Bovicola bovis - pictured) have huge heads and feed mainly on skin and hair. They can usually be found across the whole animal. An adult will be around 2mm in length and reddish brown in colour.
There are three species of sucking lice. These latch onto and pierce the skin, feeding on blood. In heavy infestations these can cause anaemia. Linognathus vituli, or the long-nosed cattle louse have small narrow heads and large bodies. They cluster together and predominate on the neck and head of the animal. They are known transmitters of tick fever (redwater) and ringworm. Haematopinus eurysternus, known as the short-nosed louse are much larger than biting lice and commonly affect the head of the animal. The little blue cattle louse (Solenopotes capillatus) similarly congregate on the head of the animal but can spread across the body in a severe infestation.
Mange
There are three types of mange in cattle, though chorioptic mange (Chorioptes bovis) is typically the most common found in Ireland and the UK. Mange is caused by mites that penetrate the skin, causing irritants and leading to lesions. They feed on skin secretions, blood and lymphatic fluid and severe dermatitis is the main initial symptom, with hair loss, crusty skin, lesions and sores following in heavy infestations. The mite lifecycle can be completed in as little as two weeks. While spreading between animals normally occurs via animal-to-animal contact, contaminated housing or equipment can also facilitate it.
Visual effects are typically confined to the tail head and lower body but have been known to manifest in other areas on the animal. Mite populations are normally highest during the winter.
There are two treatment options for controlling lice and mites in cattle, Synthetic Pyrethroids (SP) and topical or injectable Macrocyclic Lactones (ML). The SP active ingredients are deltamethrin, permethrin, cypermethrin and alpha-cypermethrin. These are all effective against lice, though some resistance issues have been identified in the UK. To date, permethrin is the only SP with a licence to treat mange. In terms of MLs, active ingredients include ivermectin, eprinomectin, moxidectin and doramectin. Pour on formulations are most effective, as injections may not completely eradicate biting lice and mange populations.
Use the solutions below with our Best Practice and FAQ sections to make good decisions on external parasite control.
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