Productivity in sheep treated with diamphenethide at different times after infection with Fasciola hepatica.

Sheep with potentially fatal Fasciola hepatica burdens were treated with diamphenethide 4, 8 or 12 weeks after infection. Specific effects of fluke on growth rate and wool growth over and above any anorectic effects were measured by including a pair fed group to each infected group. After drenching, feed intakes returned to that of the uninfected control group. With the exception of sheep drenched in Week 4 after infection, all sheep had significantly lower production after drenching than the control sheep. No compensatory growth was observed and productivity remained depressed for the duration of the trial (26 weeks).