Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) and the Goat Industry Council of Australia (GICA) have joined forces with Moredun Research Institute (MRI) through the MLA Donor Company program to develop a claim for the use of BarberVax in goats. BarberVax is a vaccine which aids the control of Barber’s Pole Worm in lambs. If successful, this research will pave the way for the vaccine to be used in goats.
While BarberVax is not yet registered for use in sheep or goats in Australia, an initial registration application has been submitted to the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) and new information, such as efficacy in weaners and adult sheep, is being submitted as it becomes available. By pursuing a claim for goats at this stage, the goat industry will be well positioned to take advantage of the registration of BarberVax in the event that that occurs. Registration is considered to be highly likely and worth the initial investment to ensure the goat industry is not left behind.
Johann Schröder, Project Manager: Animal Health and Biosecurity with MLA said that based on field studies in South Africa and pen studies in Scotland, we are confident that the vaccine will perform as well in goats as it has thus far in sheep.
“Considering that the most important parasitic worm to which farmed goats are exposed is Barber’s Pole Worm, we think a goat claim for BarberVax is the sensible way for goat producers to help control it,” Dr Shroder said.
“Another advantage of BarberVax is that as a vaccine, it doesn’t require an increased dosage as is often the case with drenches. This means that some of the uncertainty associated with withholding periods influenced by dose rate and issues that promote worm drench resistance can be avoided.”
The project is expected to commence later in 2014 and will run for about 12 months. Granting of the goat label claim by the APVMA could take an additional six months.
Source: Meat & Livestock Australia – Goats on the Move eNewsletter