AGRICULTURE Victoria is warning farmers to be on the lookout for barber’s pole worm, a blood-sucking roundworm.

The parasite primarily affects sheep and goats with a minor crossover into cattle and can cause anaemia in animals through blood loss and lethargy.

Affected animals may flop down when mustered briskly and have extremely pale inner eyelids and gums.

All body condition types can be affected and more chronic cases can result in ‘bottle-jaw’ for animals.

Its life cycle is like other roundworms – the eggs are passed in an animal’s faeces before they hatch and develop to an infectious stage.

They are then eaten by a susceptible animal and develop into an adult worm in the animal’s fourth stomach.

Two- to three-centimetre long adult female worms can be easily seen on fresh post-mortem in the stomach contents of an affected sheep.

Burdens caused by the worm can build up relatively quickly in affected sheep as it has a relatively short life cycle and produces many more eggs compared to other roundworms.

The worm typically favours warm, humid conditions and gets its name from the ‘barber pole’ colouration of the female worm as its blood-filled insides intertwine.

Agriculture Victoria advised an internal parasite control drench – administered by either injection, pour-on or orally – were the most effective treatment.

It also said affected stock should be moved onto a clean paddock so worm egg counts could be monitored.

Further information can be found by visiting Wormboss.