Department releases nematodirus forecast for 2026

The forecast, published in collaboration with Met Éireann, UCD and Teagasc, can be used to gauge the optimal time to administer anthelmintic (wormer) treatment to prevent disease in lambs

Nematodirosis is a severe parasitic disease which effects lambs typically between six to 12 weeks of age after becoming infected by ingesting large numbers of infective larvae from grazing on contaminated pasture. File picture

The 2026 nematodirus forecast, which helps to safeguard lambs from disease pressures, has been published.

Each spring the department in collaboration with Met Éireann, University College Dublin (UCD) and Teagasc advises farmers of the predicted risk of disease, primarily in lambs, caused by the roundworm nematodirus battus.