Husk: the commonest respiratory disease in adult cattle

• Incidence of Husk
• Why is the incidence increasing?
• Latest statistics

The incidence of Husk

Husk or lungworm infection is now firmly established as the commonest respiratory disease in adult cattle².

In 1999, according to VIDA, the proportion of lungworm cases occurring in adult animals reached the highest levels ever¹. What’s more, although the total reported incidence was fractionally down on 1997’s 35-year record, it remains more than seven times greater than ten years ago¹.

Of course, cases reported to VIDA are often just the tip of the iceberg - particularly now that adult incidence of the disease is more widely recognised. In fact, MSD Animal Health’s own database of new vaccine users suggests that 1999 saw yet another increase in cases, with around a thousand herds beginning to vaccinate again. It’s probable that these farmers experienced significant outbreaks and the numbers suggest that lungworm affected almost 40,000 animals¹.

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Why is the incidence increasing?

Most vets now agree that the changing pattern of the disease can be attributed to the decline in routine vaccination – indeed, the statistics show that if vaccination is suddenly halted, the chance of a future outbreak is 63%¹ – alongside the increasingly unpredictable levels of immunity associated with the use of powerful long acting wormers in the first and/or second seasons at grass³. This website aims to clarify the problem and shows how wormers can be combined with vaccination to provide universally effective lungworm control strategies.

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Summary of latest incidence statistics

• On average, 63% of farms which cease vaccination have an outbreak in succeeding years
• Around 1,000 herds are thought to have experienced outbreaks in 1999, with 40,000 animals affected
• Almost three quarters of cases in 1999 occurred in 2nd season or older animals, and the adult proportion was the highest yet recorded

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