The prevalence of anthelmintic resistance in nematode parasites of sheep in Southern Latin America: Brazil

Abstract

This survey was conducted in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul and involved 182 farms located in 26 counties. In addition to the three major broad-spectrum anthelmintic groups (viz. benzimidazole, levamisole and ivermectin) the combination benzimidazole and levamisole and the H. contortus specific anthelmintic, closantel, were tested by the faecal egg count reduction method for the prevalence of anthelmintic resistance. Resistance was found to be 90%, 84%, 13%, 73% and 20%, respectively. This is a crisis situation. Immediate, drastic action needs to be implemented, otherwise the sheep industry in this region (approx. 10 million head) will soon face a lack of any effective anthelmintics with the inevitable consequences of major restructuring or abandonment.