morantel and Trichostrongylosis

A strain of Trichostrongylus colubriformis from Nottingham Road, in Natal, was found to be solidly resistant to levamisole and morantel at the recommended dose levels. Untreated control sheep in fact harboured fewer worms at slaughter than either of the 2 treated groups. In contrast, the benzimidazoles and ivermectin were more than 99.9% effective against this worm strain. The possible implications of escalating resistance to anthelmintics in the gastrointestinal nematodes of sheep are discussed.

Topics: Animals; Drug Resistance; Levamisole; Male; Morantel; Sheep; Sheep Diseases; Trichostrongylosis; Trichostrongylus

A new anthelmintic assay is described which uses immunosuppressed (60 ppm hydrocortisone acetate in diet) rats infected with the nematode Trichostrongylus colubriformis. Immunosuppressed rats were infected with 1500 T. colubriformis larvae, treated either orally or subcutaneously on Day 14 post-infection and necropsied 4 days after treatment. The worm counts in immunosuppressed control animals averaged 775 worms per rat. A range of benzimidazoles, levamisole hydrochloride, morantel tartrate, 22,23-dihydroavermectin B1a and alpha-milbemycin have been evaluated in the assay. The ED95 values obtained indicate that rats infected with T. colubriformis provide a highly predictive model for assaying the activity of experimental drugs in vivo prior to studies in ruminants.

Topics: Animals; Anthelmintics; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Benzimidazoles; Disease Models, Animal; Feces; Immunosuppression Therapy; Ivermectin; Levamisole; Macrolides; Male; Morantel; Parasite Egg Count; Rats; Ruminants; Trichostrongylosis

Changes in anthelmintic resistance in nematode parasites were monitored in sheep grazing on 2 separate farms, but with the same anthelmintic treatment program, over 16 years. High levels of benzimidazole resistance emerged in Ostertagia and Trichostrongylus spp populations on both farms following 9 years of continuous use of this class of drug. Subsequently, variations in the levels of resistance occurred for the same species between farms and between species on the same farm. A change to levamisole for 2 years resulted in a significant reversion towards benzimidazole susceptibility, but a concomitant rise in levamisole resistance, in Ostertagia on one farm. However, benzimidazole resistance increased rapidly following the re-introduction of oxfendazole into the anthelmintic treatment program. Results from both farms illustrate the pitfalls of using one anthelmintic class for an extended period and provide indirect support for the alternation of anthelmintic classes at approximately yearly intervals.

Topics: Animals; Antinematodal Agents; Benzimidazoles; Drug Resistance; Levamisole; Morantel; Ostertagia; Ostertagiasis; Sheep; Sheep Diseases; Trichostrongyloidiasis; Trichostrongylosis; Trichostrongylus

Topics: Animals; Anthelmintics; Drug Resistance; Drug Therapy, Combination; Fenbendazole; Levamisole; Morantel; Organophosphorus Compounds; Ostertagiasis; Sheep; Sheep Diseases; Trichostrongyloidiasis; Trichostrongylosis

Three groups of calves, previously grazed on permanent pastures contaminated with bovine trichostrongyle (Ostertagia and Cooperia species) infective larvae, were housed from October to May. During the grazing season one group had received fenbendazole at fortnightly intervals to suppress trichostrongyle infections, one received a morantel sustained release bolus before grazing to limit trichostrongyle contamination of the pasture, and the control group was only medicated when heavy infections caused clinical type 1 ostertagiasis. Digestibility of the whole diet was poorer in the control cattle, particularly for dry matter, crude protein and energy fractions. Balance studies conducted throughout the winter housed period showed that both increased faecal and urinary nitrogen outputs in the control animals contributed to a significantly reduced overall nitrogen retention. The effects were most apparent during clinical type 2 ostertagiasis, which occurred in March in the control group.

Topics: Aging; Animal Feed; Animals; Benzimidazoles; Body Weight; Cattle; Cattle Diseases; Delayed-Action Preparations; Digestion; Fenbendazole; Male; Morantel; Nitrogen; Poaceae; Pyrimidines; Trichostrongyloidiasis; Trichostrongylosis

Friesian steers were exposed to natural trichostrongyle infection and left untreated (controls) or treated with either a morantel sustained release bolus or fenbendazole at two week intervals (clean) in each of two consecutive grazing seasons. In the second grazing season the mean liveweight gains of the clean, morantel treated and control groups of cattle over 152 days were 105, 131 and 109 kg respectively (morantel treated greater than clean, control P less than 0.02). The cattle were slaughtered following an indoor fattening period. The dressed carcase weight, killing out percentage and related carcase measurements were superior in the treated groups. Eighty per cent of the clean and morantel treated cattle graded satisfactorily and qualified for subsidy payment whereas less than 30 per cent of the control cattle were successful. Rib joint analyses showed significantly lower total weight, eye muscle weight and area together with a higher bone content in control cattle.

Topics: Animal Feed; Animals; Benzimidazoles; Cattle; Cattle Diseases; Delayed-Action Preparations; Fenbendazole; Male; Meat; Morantel; Orchiectomy; Pepsinogens; Poaceae; Pyrimidines; Seasons; Trichostrongyloidiasis; Trichostrongylosis; Trichostrongylus

Two field strains of Trichostrongylus colubriformis were tested by in vitro and in vivo methods for resistance to morantel, levamisole and thiabendazole and compared with an anthelmintic-naive laboratory-passaged strain (McM). One field strain (TAS) was isolated from a dairy goat herd which had experienced severe helminthiasis despite intensive anthelmintic usage. The other (BCK) was isolated from sheep which had been treated solely with levamisole over a 6-year period. The BCK strain had very high levels of both levamisole and morantel resistance. In contrast the TAS strain was resistant to morantel but highly susceptible to levamisole. This finding is contrary to the expectation that selection with morantel automatically confers resistance to levamisole, the converse of which was shown to apply in the BCK strain. Although the TAS strain was exposed to levamisole prior to isolation, examination of the drug's pharmacokinetics in goats indicated that it exerted little if any anthelmintic effect, and therefore selection pressure, on the parasite population. This study suggests that the mechanism of levamisole resistance covers a wide spectrum, and embraces that for morantel. It also suggests that in order to conserve the effectiveness of the levamisole/morantel group of broad spectrum anthelmintics, morantel should be used to the exclusion of levamisole until resistance is detected, at which time levamisole may be introduced to re-establish high levels of control.

Topics: Animals; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Resistance; Goats; Levamisole; Morantel; Pyrimidines; Sheep; Sheep Diseases; Thiabendazole; Trichostrongylosis; Trichostrongylus

In the course of studies on the control of bovine parasitic gastroenteritis in south west Scotland using a morantel sustained release bolus the populations of trichostrongyle infective larvae on herbage were monitored over a two-year period. From the results of the herbage analysis and the worm burdens in parasite naive tracer calves introduced at the end of 18 months, it was clear that considerable numbers of infective larvae of Ostertagia ostertagi and Cooperia oncophora survived for at least 18 months on pastures not grazed at all. The results suggest that in south west Scotland after one, or even two, seasons with no further contamination of grazing, permanent cattle pastures cannot be assumed to be helminthologically 'safe' and that this should be taken into consideration when determining prophylactic strategies.

Topics: Animals; Cattle; Cattle Diseases; Larva; Morantel; Poaceae; Scotland; Seasons; Species Specificity; Time Factors; Trichostrongyloidea; Trichostrongylosis

Topics: Animals; Benzimidazoles; Cambendazole; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; Female; Fenbendazole; Gerbillinae; Levamisole; Morantel; Pyrimidines; Trichostrongyloidea; Trichostrongyloidiasis; Trichostrongylosis

Guinea pigs infected with Trichostrongylus colubriformis were used to develop an assay for anthelmintic resistance by determination of worm burdens following treatment with test anthelmintics. To achieve comparable efficacy with the recommended dose of thiabendazole and levamisole in sheep, dose rates in guinea pigs had to be increased two to four fold. For example, thiabendazole at 100 mg/kg in guinea pigs was 96.6 per cent effective against a thiabendazole susceptible (GS) strain of T colubriformis, but had no effect against a thiabendazole-resistant (VRSG) strain. In sheep 50 mg/kg of thiabendazole would have a similar efficacy against each strain respectively. Morantel tartrate at 10 mg/kg in guinea pigs was 99 to 100 per cent effective against the GS strain but only 54 per cent effective against a morantel resistant (PF4) strain. A slope ratio assay was used to calculate the relative potency of anthelmintics by comparing efficacies against resistant strains with efficacy against the GS strain. Resistance of the VRSG strain to thiabendazole was confirmed with a relative potency for this drug of 0.047 in guinea pigs. The PF4 strain was resistant to both thiabendazole and levamisole which had relative potencies of 0.168 and 0.255 respectively. The advantages of this statistical treatment together with the cost and time savings of the guinea pig model over a conventional critical anthelmintic assay in sheep are discussed.

Topics: Animals; Anthelmintics; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; Drug Resistance; Female; Guinea Pigs; Levamisole; Male; Morantel; Rodent Diseases; Sheep; Sheep Diseases; Thiabendazole; Trichostrongyloidea; Trichostrongyloidiasis; Trichostrongylosis

The anthelmintic efficacy of low-dose phenothiazine therapy, administered as a 1:40 phenothiazine: molasses mixture, was tested against patent infections of strains of Haemonchus contortus, Trichostrongylus colubriformis and Ostertagia spp susceptible or resistant to thiabendazole (an other benzimidazoles), levamisole and morantel tartrate. Phenothiazine reduced faecal egg output for both susceptible and resistant strains of all three nematodes. In daily doses of 0.25 g per sheep per day and above it completely inhibited larval production in susceptible strains. Against resistant strains, there was a reduced efficiency with 82.3 per cent inhibition of egg hatch at the 0.25 g per sheep per day level. Phenothiazine treatment had no significant effect on worm numbers for either susceptible or resistant worms. It is suggested that benzimidazole-resistant strains may be cross-resistant to phenothiazine.

Topics: Animals; Drug Resistance; Haemonchiasis; Levamisole; Male; Morantel; Ostertagiasis; Phenothiazines; Sheep; Sheep Diseases; Thiabendazole; Trichostrongyloidea; Trichostrongyloidiasis; Trichostrongylosis

Low-dose daily phenothiazine therapy, administered as a 1:40 phenothiazine:molasses mixture, was tested against sequential infections of strains of Haemonchus contortus. Trichostrongylus colubriformis and Ostertagia spp susceptible or resistant to thiabendazole, levamisole and morantel tartrate. Phenothiazine at a dose rate of 0.5 g per sheep per day significantly reduced the numbers of worm eggs per gram of faeces in both susceptible and resistant strains by an average of 48 per cent and 60 per cent respectively. Phenothiazine completely inhibited larval production in susceptible strains. With resistant worms, larval production was depressed by up to 85.7 per cent. Treatment with phenothiazine : molasses mixture reduced the numbers of worms which became established in resistant Ostertagia spp and susceptible T colubriformis but had no effect on the establishment of susceptible H contortus and Ostertagia spp or resistant H contortus and T colubriformis.

Topics: Administration, Oral; Animals; Drug Resistance; Haemonchiasis; Levamisole; Male; Morantel; Ostertagiasis; Phenothiazines; Sheep; Sheep Diseases; Thiabendazole; Trichostrongyloidea; Trichostrongyloidiasis; Trichostrongylosis

Merino and Border Leicester cross Merino sheep, nine months old, were infected with 10,000 third stage larvae of both Trichostrongylus colubriformis (PF4) and Ostertagia circumcincta/O trifurcata (PF5), known to have varying degrees of resistance to levamisole, morantel tartrate and thiabendazole. Crossbred sheep carried heavier Ostertagia sp worm burdens but there was no difference in susceptibility between the two breeds of sheep to infection with T colubriformis. The anthelmintic efficacy of thiabendazole, at 50 mg/kg, against T colubriformis was 81.8 per cent and 92.4 per cent for Merinos and crossbreds respectively while levamisole, at 6.75 mg/kg, was 12.3 per cent and 18 per cent effective. Thiabendazole removed 92.3 per cent and 83.8 per cent of Ostertagia sp in Merinos and crossbreds respectively. However, worm burdens in levamisole treated sheep were not significantly different from controls. No significant breed differences were found in 24 h faecal egg outputs. It is suggested that breed differences previously described in four-month-old sheep may have been due to differences in the rate of development of immune responsiveness. This disparity was no longer detectable in the immunologically mature sheep used in this study.

Topics: Animals; Drug Resistance; Female; Levamisole; Male; Morantel; Ostertagiasis; Pyrimidines; Sheep; Sheep Diseases; Thiabendazole; Trichostrongyloidea; Trichostrongyloidiasis; Trichostrongylosis

Strains of Trichostrongylus colubriformis (designated PF4) and Ostertagia sp (O circumcincta/O trifurcata, designated PF5), with varying degrees of resistance to levamisole, morantel tartrate and thiabendazole were isolated into pure culture. Detailed dose response studies showed that both T colubriformis and Ostertagia sp were highly resistant to levamisole and morantel with low level resistance to thiabendazole. The effective dose required to remove 80 per cent worm burdens (ED80) was calculated for each anthelmintic. For T colubriformis the ED80 for levamisole and thiabendazole were 12.6 and 40.1 mg/kg respectively. For Ostertagia sp, the ED80 for levamisole, thiabendazole and morantel were 20.4, 45.2 and 35.8 mg/kg respectively. The implications of these results are discussed with reference to alternative means of chemical control.

Topics: Animals; Drug Resistance; Female; Levamisole; Male; Morantel; Ostertagiasis; Pyrimidines; Sheep; Sheep Diseases; Thiabendazole; Trichostrongyloidea; Trichostrongyloidiasis; Trichostrongylosis

Field strains of Trichostrongylus colubriformis and Ostertagia circumcincta, designated PF4 and PF5 respectively, were recovered from a farm on which the sole use of levamisole over a preceding 12 year period led to the development of anthelmintic resistance. The results of field observations and preliminary critical trials in both Merino and crossbred sheep showed that both species have varying degrees of resistance to three major anthelmintics; levamisole, morantel tartrate and thiabendazole. Mean worm count reductions for adult T colubriformis (PF4) for therapeutic doses of morantel tartrate, thiabendazole and levamisole in crossbreds were 45.7 per cent, 97.3 per cent and zero respectively, and for Merinos 80.7 per cent, 88.3 per cent and 92.0 per cent respectively. Against O circumcincta the corresponding reductions for crossbreds were 51.4 percent, 95.4 per cent and 20.3 per cent and for Merinos, 52.5 per cent, 73.1 per cent and 29.8 per cent. There was no statistically significant difference in the responses of both parasite species to either levamisole or morantel. This result suggests that resistance to the two chemically unrelated drugs may be co-inherited.

Topics: Animals; Drug Resistance; Levamisole; Morantel; Ostertagiasis; Pyrimidines; Sheep; Sheep Diseases; Thiabendazole; Trichostrongyloidea; Trichostrongyloidiasis; Trichostrongylosis

A field population of Trichostrongylus columbriformis was divided into 4 lines for exposure to selection in the laboratory. The first line was selected with 50 mg/kg thiabendazole, the second with 4 mg/kg morantel tartrate, the third with 50 mg/kg thiabendazole followed by 4 mg/kg morantel tartrate and the fourth line was not selected for drug resistance. Following at least 9 generations of selection there was no difference in LD50 OR LD95 between the unselected and single selected strains of worms. The strain selected by both tiabendazole and morantel tartrate had a significantly higher LD50 against thiabendazole, morantel tartrate and levamisole than did the other three strains. The single selected strains had LD95's of 172, 21.5 and 2.3 mg/kg for thiabendazole, morantel tartrate and levamisole respectively, compared with corresponding values of 111, 17.3 and 2.4 in the unselected strain and 124, 15.5 and 3.0 in the double selected strain. The estimated efficiency of the recommended dose of each anthelmintic against the unselected field strain was;-thiabendazole (44 mg/kg) 50% efficient, morantel tartrate (8.8 mg/kg) 76% efficient and levamisole (7.0 mg/kg) 99.9%efficient.

Topics: Administration, Oral; Animals; Anthelmintics; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Levamisole; Morantel; Sheep; Sheep Diseases; Thiabendazole; Trichostrongyloidiasis; Trichostrongylosis

Topics: Animals; Cattle; Cattle Diseases; Larva; Morantel; Niger; Pyrimidines; Thiabendazole; Trichostrongyloidea; Trichostrongyloidiasis; Trichostrongylosis