Latest News

SCOPS and COWS encourage care when rotating different products to treat liver fluke The very limited number of flukicides available to treat cattle and sheep in the UK means it’s essential for farmers, vets and advisers to fully understand their product choices, say the Sustainable Control of Parasites in Sheep (SCOPS) and Control of Worms Sustainably (COWS) groups. 28th January 2025 Read More
SCOPS on the hunt for Steering Group Deputy Chair The Sustainable Control of Parasites in Sheep (SCOPS) group is welcoming applications from sheep farmers in the UK to be the next SCOPS Steering Group Deputy Chair. The role of the Deputy Chair is to support the Chair, deputising where requested, and to develop sufficient understanding and involvement in SCOPS to allow a seamless transition from Deputy to Chair when the time comes. 24th January 2025 Read More
Don’t let incidental rumen fluke egg counts distract from serious threat of liver fluke, says SCOPS and COWS The inclusion of rumen fluke egg counts on reports provided by laboratories should not detract from important information provided by liver fluke egg counts, say experts in the Sustainable Control of Parasites in Sheep (SCOPS) and Control of Worms Sustainably (COWS) groups. 22nd January 2025 Read More
Know your anthelmintics groups for 2025 SCOPS is delighted to announce the ever-popular and highly useful SCOPS Know Your Anthelmintics guide has been updated for 2025, ensuring the information inside is bang-up-to-date for UK sheep producers. As well as listing all licenced anthelmintics within the groups they belong to, the guide also has practical advice on administering products and making environmentally-sound decisions. 16th January 2025 Read More
SCOPS highlights importance of new bluetongue information provided to SQPs and RAMAs SCOPS welcomes work done by the Animal Medicines Training Regulatory Authority (AMTRA) to support Suitably Qualified Persons (SQPs) and Registered Animal Medicines Advisors (RAMAs) on the frontline of product prescription and supply with information on bluetongue. 16th December 2024 Read More
On-the-ground evidence adds weight to SCOPS-COWS warnings of higher risk liver fluke season The number of positive liver fluke cases is beginning to rise, in line with the statement made by the Sustainable Control of Parasites in Sheep (SCOPS) and Control of Worms Sustainably (COWS) groups in October that, after a wet, mild summer and autumn, livestock farmers could be facing a high challenge for some areas. 3rd December 2024 Read More
Useful information shared in SCOPS liver fluke webinar On Thursday 7th November SCOPS held a specialist webinar for vets and advisers about liver fluke. Levels of liver fluke in the UK have been relatively low in recent years - but after a wet and mild summer and autumn in many areas, forecasts are predicting that 2024/25 will buck the trend, resulting in a high liver fluke challenge for some areas. 8th November 2024 Read More
SCOPS contributes to Vet Times article on making the most of faecal egg counts (FECs) Last week saw Vet Times publish a useful article on ways to maximise faecal egg counts (FECs) through implemting best practice when collecting and processing samples, and interpreting results. The article was produced by two members of the SCOPS Steering Group - Dave Bartley from Moredun and Patricia Van Ven of Zoetis Animal Health - as well as SCOPS worming sub-group member Rebecca Mearns of Biobest. 1st November 2024 Read More
Farmers urged to test for liver fluke in an autumn and winter that could be ‘very different’ to recent years The relatively low and later incidence of liver fluke in recent years shouldn’t make sheep farmers complacent this autumn and winter, say the Sustainable Control of Parasites of Sheep (SCOPS) and Control of Cattle Parasites Sustainably (COWS) groups. 29th October 2024 Read More
SCOPS contributes to Farmers Weekly article on haemonchus This week saw Farmers Weekly publish a useful article on Haemonchus contortus, highlighting the role of climate change in allowing the barber's pole worm to be more widely spread in the UK, but also emphasising how similar the symptoms it causes are to other parasites. 25th October 2024 Read More
SCOPS and COWS invite vets and advisers to Test-Based Control of Liver Fluke webinar The Sustainable Control of Parasites in Sheep (SCOPS) and Control of Worms Sustainably (COWS) are inviting vets and advisers to a webinar exploring the 'Test, Don't Guess' mantra for test-based liver fluke control in sheep and cattle, and how the addition of a new lateral fluke liver fluke test is opening up options for controlling this production-damaging parasite. 18th October 2024 Read More
Reminder from SCOPS about bluetongue and insecticides With the ongoing bluetongue situation in the UK, SCOPS would like to remind farmers, vets and advisers that insecticides will not prevent midges biting livestock so should not be prescribed as a way to prevent bluetongue or reduce transmission.   Speaking on behalf of SCOPS, independent sheep consultant Lesley Stubbings says: “Insecticides do not kill midges fast enough to prevent the first bite, and that first bite is all it takes to transmit bluetongue. 5th September 2024 Read More

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