1. This worm has two hosts; dogs and sheep. The worm stage is in the dog’s gut, the cyst stage in the sheep muscle tissue.

2. To spread, sheep must eat pasture contaminated with infected dog faeces, AND dogs must eat infected sheep meat.

3. In ideal conditions, the lifecycle of the worm can be as short as 35 days.

4. Dogs can carry several worms at once and each worm can lay up to 250,000 eggs per day!

5. Once passed out of the dog, the eggs can travel on sheep feet and up to 15 km on the wind.

6. As few as five cysts will cause lamb carcase condemnation at the works.

7. Control of the worm requires treatment of dogs at monthly intervals with Droncit. Using Drontal Plus every three months ensures control of roundworms too.

8. Freezing of meat fed to dogs will destroy the cysts. Temperatures of -10C or colder are required for 7 days to ensure cysts are destroyed. Check your freezer to ensure this temperature is reached.

9. Ensure any home kill areas and offal holes are dog proof and whenever possible pick up dead sheep carcases and dispose of in offal hole.