Clare Collett

Fasciola hepatica is a parasite responsible for liver fluke disease in livestock. Infections reduce productivity and negatively impact the global agricultural economy, including the EU. In absence of vaccines, control depends on sustainable diagnostics and drugs, especially triclabendazole (TCBZ), which kills adult worms and pathogenic juveniles.

Effective disease management is limited as there is not a commercially available, rapid, sensitive test for farm-based diagnoses. The aim of this research was to learn about the molecular makeup of fluke to be able to introduce a novel test, a form of trial and error, to confirm or eliminate fluke and therefore unnecessary treatments with Triclabendazole.

This PhD is funded through the Knowledge Economy Skills Scholarships (KESS 2) scheme. KESS 2 is a pan-Wales higher-level skills initiative led by Aberystwyth University on behalf of the HE sector in Wales. It is part-funded by the Welsh Government’s European Social Fund (ESF) convergence programme for West Wales and the Valleys. Clare collaborated with HCC on this project.