Learmount Jane, Glover Mike J, Taylor Mike A
Animal and Plant Health Agency, Sand Hutton, York YO41 1LZ, UK.
Torch Farm & Equine Ltd., Horsepond Meadow, South Molton, Devon EX36 4EJ, UK.
Vet Parasitol. 2018 Apr 30;254:64-71. doi: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2018.02.033. Epub 2018 Feb 21.
UK guidelines for the sustainable control of parasites in sheep (SCOPS) were formulated with the primary aim of delaying development of anthelmintic resistance (AR) on UK sheep farms. Promoting their use requires the engagement and commitment of stakeholders. An important driver for behavioural change in sheep farmers is evidence of economic benefits. A recent evaluation of SCOPS guidance in practice demonstrated a significant reduction in anthelmintic use, suggesting economic benefits through a direct reduction in product and labour costs. However, in order to maintain production, a range of alternative control strategies are advised, resulting in additional costs to farmers and so a full cost benefit analysis of best practice management was undertaken. We allocated financial values to the management recommendations described in the SCOPS technical manual. Benefits were calculated using data for production variables and anthelmintic use measured during studies to evaluate the effect of SCOPS recommendations on 16 UK sheep farms and from other published work. As SCOPS control is not prescriptive and a range of different diagnostics are available, best and worst case scenarios were presented, comparing the cheapest methods (e.g. egg counts without larval culture) and management situations (e.g closed flocks not requiring quarantine treatments) with the most laborious and expensive. Simulations were run for farms with a small, medium or large flock (300; 1000; 1900 ewes) as well as comparing scenarios with and without potential production benefits from using effective wormers. Analysis demonstrated a moderate cost for all farms under both scenarios when production benefits were not included. A cost benefit was demonstrated for medium and large farms when production benefits were included and the benefit could be perceived as significant in the case of the large farms for the best case scenario (>£5000 per annum). Despite a significant potential reduction in anthelmintic use by farmers employing SCOPS guidance, the very low price of the older anthelmintic classes meant that the benefit did not always outweigh the additional management/diagnostic costs unless an increase in production was also achieved. This is an important finding. Focussing research on key innovations that will improve the cost effectiveness of diagnostic assays in a diagnostic driven control strategy, as well as designing treatment options that can improve production outcomes, and presenting them in a clear and transparent way, must be high priority goals. Coupling targeted research with improvements in the delivery of messages to the end user is important in the light of increasing global concerns over drug resistance.
英国绵羊寄生虫可持续控制指南（SCOPS）的制定主要目的是延缓英国养羊场抗蠕虫药耐药性（AR）的发展。推广其使用需要利益相关者的参与和承诺。促使养羊户行为改变的一个重要因素是经济效益的证据。最近对SCOPS指南实际应用的评估表明，驱虫药的使用量显著减少，这表明通过直接降低产品和劳动力成本带来了经济效益。然而，为了维持生产，建议采用一系列替代控制策略，这给养殖户带来了额外成本，因此对最佳实践管理进行了全面的成本效益分析。我们为SCOPS技术手册中描述的管理建议赋予了财务价值。使用生产变量数据和在研究期间测量的驱虫药使用量来计算效益，这些研究旨在评估SCOPS建议对英国16个养羊场的影响以及其他已发表的研究成果。由于SCOPS控制并非规定性的，且有一系列不同的诊断方法，因此给出了最佳和最坏情况，将最便宜的方法（如不进行幼虫培养的虫卵计数）和管理情况（如不需要检疫处理的封闭羊群）与最费力且昂贵的方法和情况进行比较。针对小型、中型或大型羊群（300只；1000只；1900只母羊）的农场进行了模拟，同时比较了使用有效驱虫药有无潜在生产效益的情况。分析表明，在不包括生产效益的两种情况下，所有农场的成本都适中。当包括生产效益时，中型和大型农场显示出成本效益，在最佳情况下，大型农场的效益可能很显著（每年超过5000英镑）。尽管采用SCOPS指南的养殖户驱虫药使用量有显著的潜在减少，但旧类驱虫药的价格非常低，这意味着除非产量也有所增加，否则效益并不总是超过额外的管理/诊断成本。这是一个重要发现。将研究重点放在关键创新上，以提高诊断驱动控制策略中诊断检测的成本效益，设计能够改善生产结果的治疗方案，并以清晰透明的方式呈现这些方案，必须是高度优先的目标。鉴于全球对耐药性的担忧日益增加，将有针对性的研究与改善向最终用户传递信息的方式相结合非常重要。
