Informing External Parasite Control
- Project No: 2026F4037R
- Lead Researcher(s): John Gilleard (University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine)
- Collaborators: Sean Thompson (Olds College)
- Year Started: 2026
Background
External parasites like lice and mites can cause production losses through skin irritation, stress and altered behaviour of cattle. They may also carry or spread disease. However, not all animals exhibiting signs of itchiness or patchy hair loss may be affected by external parasites. It can be difficult to determine if an animal is suffering from lice or mites without restraining them and closely examining parts of the body such as the topline, brisket, shoulder, or taking skin scrapings. Pour-on products have traditionally been extremely effective in preventing and treating external parasite infestations; however, just like bacteria can develop resistance to antibiotics, parasites can develop resistance to products like Ivomec, Cylence or LongRange. This means these products need to be used judiciously, so they remain effective.
Previous research demonstrated that louse DNA could be detected on the skin of infected cattle by using a simple swab in strategic areas. This work intends to further refine and validate diagnostic tests for external parasites.
Objectives
The objectives of this project are to:
- Develop a new genomic based test for mites, and multiplex the new mite test with previously existing louse tests
- Relate the test results to louse infection intensities
- Streamline the testing process such that it could be used in veterinary clinics or diagnostic laboratories
Implications of the Research
If successful, this project will create a set of diagnostic tests for lice and mites that could eventually replace the time consuming and labourious visual examinations currently used for diagnosis of these parasites; provide tools for research into parasite distribution, treatment effectiveness, or clinical trials; and potentially provide producers with an in-herd surveillance tool to improve the precision or justification of parasite treatments.
This project is also supported by Results Driven Agriculture Research
