Interaction between bacterial microbiota and nematode parasite communities in sheep's gastrointestinal tract.

The economic impact of gastrointestinal (GI) nematode infections on livestock production is well documented worldwide. Increasing evidence supports the hypothesis that parasite colonization induces significant changes in the GI tract environment and, therefore, in the landscape where the microbiota and parasites occur. Understanding the interactions between bacterial and parasite populations in the digestive tract of livestock may be useful to design parasite control strategies based on microbiota modification.

Phytochemicals in Gastrointestinal Nematode Control: Pharmacokinetic-Pharmacodynamic Evaluation of the Ivermectin plus Carvone Combination.

A wide variety of plant-derived phytochemicals with anthelmintic effects have been described. Most of them have shown activity against parasites in vitro but have not been extensively explored in vivo. The aim of the current work was to study the pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic relationship of the combined administration of carvone (R-CNE) and ivermectin (IVM) to lambs.

Population replacement of benzimidazole-resistant Haemonchus contortus with susceptible strains: evidence of changes in the resistance status.

The spread of anthelmintic resistance (AR) in nematode populations threatens the viability of sheep production systems worldwide, and warrants the adoption of sensitive, practical, and standardized tests to detect AR. The aim of this study was to characterize the replacement of an Haemonchus contortus population resistant to benzimidazoles (BZDs) by a susceptible one, by means of both phenotypic and genotypic techniques. Phenotypic methods to assess BZD resistance included in vivo tests, such as the fecal egg count reduction test (FECRT), and in vitro tests, such as the egg hatch assay (EHA).

Combination of bioactive phytochemicals and synthetic anthelmintics: In vivo and in vitro assessment of the albendazole-thymol association.

The search of novel strategies for anthelmintic control is a crucial need considering the widespread increase in resistant parasitic populations in livestock. Bioactive phytochemicals may contribute to improve parasite control by enhancing the effect of existing anthelmintic drugs. The aim of the current work was to evaluate the in vivo and in vitro pharmaco-chemical interaction and the in vivo efficacy of the combination of albendazole (ABZ) with thymol (TML) in lambs naturally infected with resistant gastrointestinal nematodes.

Recovery of fenbendazole efficacy on resistant Haemonchus contortus by management of parasite refugia and population replacement.

The recovery of fenbendazole efficacy against Haemonchus contortus was attempted in a sheep intensive production system, using a strategy of population replacement in which the initial absolute efficacy of fenbendazole was 0%. The strategy was based on managing the parasite populations in refugia. Firstly, the resistant parasite population was reduced by means of anthelmintic treatments with efficacious drugs (Phase I), then a new, susceptible population was introduced in summer by way of artificially infected lambs at weaning, which were left to graze on the experimental pasture for eleven months (Phase II).

Anthelmintic resistance in grazing beef cattle in central and northeastern areas of Argentina - An update.

The presence of anthelmintic resistance in Argentina has experienced a marked increase in cattle, with numerous reports showing levels of resistance of different parasite genera to different chemical groups. The aim of this study is to update comprehensively the situation of anthelmintic resistance to the different chemical groups in the most important areas of cattle production in Argentina. The study involved the determination of anthelmintic resistance in 62 cattle farms in 7 provinces using the faecal egg count reductions test.

Comparative tissue pharmacokinetics and efficacy of moxidectin, abamectin and ivermectin in lambs infected with resistant nematodes: Impact of drug treatments on parasite P-glycoprotein expression.

The high level of resistance to the macrocyclic lactones has encouraged the search for strategies to optimize their potential as antiparasitic agents. There is a need for pharmaco-parasitological studies addressing the kinetic-dynamic differences between various macrocyclic lactones under standardized in vivo conditions. The current work evaluated the relationship among systemic drug exposure, target tissue availabilities and the pattern of drug accumulation within resistant Haemonchus contortus for moxidectin, abamectin and ivermectin.