Control of hypobiotic and benzimidazole-resistant nematodes of sheep

In studies comprising a total of 117 naturally infected crossbred lambs, it was found that lambs turned out to spring pasture were exposed to immediate infection with overwintered Ostertagia, Nematodirus, and Trichostrongylus spp, but did not acquire Haemonchus contortus infection until July. With all species, there appeared to be only one major disease-producing generation of worms per year; it was responsible for serious worm burdens and clinical disease from July onward. High frequencies of hypobiosis (arrested development) were demonstrated in H contortus (98% to 100%), Ostertagia circumcincta (89% to 96%), and Nematodirus filicollis (77% to 90%) by late November; Trichostrongylus spp comprised most of the adult (egg-laying) worm population at that time. The onset of hypobiosis appeared to be induced by seasonal stimuli rather than by host-immune responses. The results of these studies showed benzimidazole resistance to be a major problem. In the first year, fenbendazole (5 mg/kg) reduced worm burdens by 46% and 20% in September and December, respectively. In December of the second year, levamisole (8 mg/kg) reduced worm burdens by 99%, thiabendazole (44 mg/kg) by 55%, fenbendazole (5 mg/kg) by 47%, and fenbendazole (15 mg/kg) by 11%. Levamisole was highly efficient (99%) against adult worms, hypobiotic worms, and benzimidazole-resistant worms. Ostertagia circumcincta was strongly resistant to the benzimidazole drugs at all dosages tested, while H contortus and Trichostronglylus spp were partially resistant. There was no evidence of reversion of resistant worms to susceptibility on this farm, even though benzimidazole drugs had not been used for 9 years.