Ireland is renowned for its lush green grass. but lurking between the blades is a dangerous threat. Liver flukes are a parasite present on most Irish farms and they're estimated to cost Irish farmers up to €90 million a year. Most farmers currently do a general douse of their sheep and cattle against liver fluke, but this can be expensive due to required milk withdrawals and the overuse of flukicides has also led to the emergence of resistant strains of liver fluke. Kathriona meets Riona Sayers from Teagasc to find out exactly what liver fluke is and the damage it can cause, and the intrepid two snap on the latex gloves to analyse a cow's liver that has been home to flukes. It's not for the faint hearted!! Back on the grass, Alan O'Riordan from Tyndall National Institute discusses the new technologies that he and Riona are developing to help farmers instantly diagnose the condition using just their computer or mobile phone, and Kathriona meets farmer Shane Fitzgerald, who had a case of liver fluke on his farm in 2009.
Weird Science - Magnetic Flip?:
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