Endoparasitoses in cattle are a worldwide problem and, in addition to animal welfare problems, also lead to significant economic losses in milk and meat production.

In addition to clinical symptoms such as emaciation, anemia, diarrhea, animal recumbency and death, endoparasites can cause performance losses due to subclinical or chronic infections, manifested by weight loss, poor gain, reduced milk production, fertility problems or reduced carcass quality. In addition, the increasingly common resistance to anthelmintics (substances used to combat parasites) represents a major problem in veterinary medicine and threatens both animal health and agricultural income. Since there are also studies in Austria on the reduced effectiveness of anthelmintics in ruminants, it is important that the endoparasite status is known and checked regularly so that the use of anthelmintics can be targeted.

The aim of this project is to investigate the prevalence of gastrointestinal strongyles (gastrointestinal worms), Fasciola hepatica (large liver fluke) and Dictyocaulus viviparus (large lungworm) in dairy cows and to compare these with the management procedures and clinical findings of the animals. In addition, in the course of this project, two detection methods routinely used for Fasciola hepatica will be compared.

Once these data are evaluated, valuable recommendations can be made for farmers and veterinarians regarding endoparasite management