American Consortium for Small Ruminant Parasite Control

Targeted Selective Treatment (TST), including the FAMACHA© System and Five Point Check©.

Targeted selective treatment (TST) is when only the animals who require deworming (or who would benefit from treatment) are dewormed. FAMACHA© is a diagnostic test to help small ruminant producers identify animals that require anthelmintic treatment and those which do not require deworming. The tool is a card that matches lower eyelid color to anemia levels, an indicator of clinical barber pole worm infection. Producers must receive training in order to receive a card. In addition to in-person workshops, training is available online. Louisiana State University (Dr. Adriano Vatta's lab) is the sole distributor of FAMACHA© cards in (North America). The Five Point Check© is another diagnostic tool for determining deworming need. It is an extension of the FAMACHA© system, which is limited to parasites which cause blood loss (anemia).