Why is this research important for Alberta ag?
Parasitic infections are production-limiting diseases that adversely affect sheep through reduced weight gain, lower immunity and increase susceptibility to miscarriage at preclinical stages. Parasitic infection in its clinical stages is also very detrimental to the animal. Conventional management practices are predominantly passive and involve blind treatment of animals with anthelmintic drugs, not considering the type of parasite or infection load.
Aggressive use of drugs has created resistant parasites and decreased the efficacy of anthelmintics. Current diagnosis methods are based on direct measurement of the infection after clinical symptoms. This is not ideal as most animals maintain the infection of at the subclinical level, typically associated with significant reduction in animal performance. The production losses at the subclinical stage both contribute to increased cost of production. An alternative method to detect parasitic infection in individual animals prior to manifestation of clinical signs can provide faster and less expensive outcomes.
This research will measure parasite-induced changes at pre-clinical stages of the infection in sheep blood profiles as a novel screening method. Metabolomics technologies can quantify subtle changes of the blood metabolite profile which can then be used to identify fingerprints of pre-clinical parasitic infections.
What benefits can producers expect from this research?
This work will improve the economics of sheep production by reducing health-related costs and improving animal performance.
How will these research findings reach producers on-farm?
Results will be shared through the oldscollege.ca website and newsletters, published on ualberta.ca, ucalgary.ca, and ablamb.ca. Guest seminars will be utilized to educate students on the Albertan sheep industry and the outcomes of this research. Training sessions and workshops will also be organized in collaboration with local sheep organizations like Alberta Lamb Producers.
Funded in part by the Government of Canada under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative.