Page 3 - 20140903 PC Rumen Fluke

Rumen Fluke - the facts PAGE 3

What are the signs that rumen fuke may be a problem in your herd?

clinical disease occurs occasionally in ireland, but a small number of severe cases have been reported with the
following clinical signs:
• dullness
• dehydraton

• rapid weight loss
• severe watery scour, which may contain traces of blood

• low blood protein concentratons
• swelling under the jaw, known as botle-jaw, or in Irish ‘pocán’.

Lef untreated, severely afected animals may die due to dehydraton.

The clinical signs described above are not exclusive to rumen fukes and diagnosis by clinical signs alone is unreliable.
However, certain features of the disease such as severe scour and weight loss, abnormally low levels of albumin (a
blood protein) in blood samples combined with a knowledge of previous grazing history (pasture type) would raise
suspicions. Demonstraton of larval rumen fuke in a faecal sample would help confrm the diagnosis

Laboratory testng will readily detect eggs in the faeces of an animal carrying adult rumen fukes. The eggs superfcially
resemble those of liver fuke, but laboratory analysts can easily diferentate between them. It is much more difcult
to confrm disease caused by the immature fuke (larval paramphistomosis) but sometmes laboratory testng
may demonstrate rumen fuke larvae in faeces. This test may not be widely available and negatve fndings do not
necessarily rule out the diagnosis. To detect rumen fuke eggs or larvae, the laboratory will require approximately 20
grams of faeces (a dessert spoonful), packed in a watertght, clean, non-breakable container, and marked with the
animal’s tag number or other identfcaton. Blood samples are required to test for blood proteins.

If disease caused by immature rumen fukes is
suspected, a faecal sample may be checked for eggs
and larvae. (Occasionally, small numbers of eggs
may be present in larval paramphistomosis). In very
severe cases observed by the Irish Regional Veterinary
Laboratories, large numbers of immature rumen
fukes have been found in the faeces.

The fnding at post mortem examinaton of large
numbers of larval rumen fuke atached to the wall
of the small intestne in an animal that showed the
clinical signs described above is a very reliable way Photo courtesy of Jim O’Donovan RO, Athlone RVL.
of confrming the diagnosis of severe disease due to
immature rumen fuke (larval paramphistomosis).
Note that carcases must be very fresh for accurate
diagnosis as larvae detach from the intestnal wall
shortly afer the death of the host animal.
Rumen fuke egg
contact your own veterinary

practtoner to plan rumen fuke
Investgaton and control programme