Eprinomectin and levamisole action on gastrointestinal nematodes in a Mexican dairy goat production system
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
The effectiveness of eprinomectin and levamisole was evaluated in a dairy goat herd in El Bajío with a history of multi-resistance to fenbendazole (0 %) and ivermectin (70 %) using the Fecal Egg Count Reduction Test. Larval cultures were used to assess the epidemiology of the disease. Thirty goats with ≥ 150 eggs per gram (EPG) and no anthelmintic treatment for ≥ 60 days were selected. The modified McMaster technique (sensitivity: 50 EPG) was used to quantify the parasite burden. Three groups (n = 10) were weighed and treated: eprinomectin (0.5 mg/kg, topical), levamisole (12 mg/kg, subcutaneous), and an untreated control. The effectiveness of eprinomectin was 65 %, while that of levamisole was 100 %. Trichostrongylus spp. (90–100 %) and Oesophagostomum sp. (10 %) were identified. The reduced effectiveness of eprinomectin may be linked to ivermectin resistance. Multidrug resistance in small ruminants highlights the urgent need for targeted selective treatments and integrated parasite management to preserve effective anthelmintics.
Article Details
References
Piña-Martínez R, Martínez-Ortiz-de-Montellano C, Márquez-Mota CC, Dantán-González E. Integrative view of diseases in ruminants: towards a holistic model. 2025(Feb);20(1):0015. doi.org/10.1079/cabireviews.2025.0015.
Miller JE, Kaplan RM, Pugh DG. Internal parasites. In: DG Pugh, AN Baird, editors. Sheep and Goat Medicine. 2nd edition. St. Louis, Missouri, US: Elsevier; 2002. pp. 106–125.
Bowman DD. Georgi. Parasitología para veterinarios. 11th edition. Barcelona, SP: Elsevier Health Sciences; 2022.
Torres-Acosta JFJ, Mendoza-de-Gives P, Aguilar-Caballero AJ, Cuéllar-Ordaz JA. Anthelmintic resistance in sheep farms: update of the situation in the American continent. Veterinary Parasitology. 2012;189(1),89–96. doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2012.03.037.
Zajac AM, Garza J. Biology, epidemiology, and control of gastrointestinal nematodes of small ruminants. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Food Animal Practice. 2020;36(1):73–87.
Kaplan RM. Biology, epidemiology, diagnosis, and management of anthelmintic resistance in gastrointestinal nematodes of livestock. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Food Animal Practice. 2020;36(1):17–30. doi.org/10.1016/j.cvfa.2019.12.001.
Shoop WL, Egerton JR, Eary CH, Haines HW, Michael BF, Mrozik H, et al. Eprinomectin: a novel avermectin for use as a topical endectocide for cattle. International Journal for Parasitology. 1996(Nov);26(11):1237–1242. doi.org/10.1016/s0020-7519(96)00122-1.
Lespine A, Sutra JF, Dupuy J, Alvinerie M. Eprinomectin in goat: assessment of subcutaneous administration. Parasitology Research. 2003(Jan);89(2):120–122. doi.org/10.1007/s00436-002-0727-z.
Modi CM, Modi SK, Patel HB. The pharmacokinetics of eprinomectin in sheep following subcutaneous administration. Veterinarski Arhiv. 2014;84(4):347–354.
Rostang A, Devos J, Chartier C. Review of the eprinomectin effective doses required for dairy goats: where do we go from here? Veterinary Parasitology. 2020;277:108992. doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2019.108992.
Ménez C, Alberich M, Kansoh D, Blanchard A, Lespine A. Acquired tolerance to ivermectin and moxidectin after drug selection pressure in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. 2016;60(8):4809–4819. doi.org/10.1128/AAC.00713-16.
Torres-Acosta JF, Villarroel-Álvarez MS, Rodríguez-Arévalo F, Gutiérrez-Segura I, Alonso-Díaz MA. Diagnosis of gastrointestinal nematodes resistant to bencimidazols and imidazothiazols in a goat herd in Yucatan, México. Revista Biomédica. 2003;14(2):75–81.
Torres-Acosta JF, Aguilar-Caballero AJ, le Bigot C, Hoste H, Canul-Ku HL, Santos-Ricalde R, et al. Comparing different formulae to test for gastrointestinal nematode resistance to benzimidazoles in smallholder goat farms in Mexico. Veterinary Parasitology. 2005;134(3–4):241–248. doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2005.07.012.
Aguilar XM, Arellano MEL, Prats VV, Hernández EL, de Gives PM. Resistencia antihelmíntica de nematodos gastroentéricos en ovinos a febendazol e ivermectina en la región noroeste del estado de Tlaxcala. Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Pecuarias. 2006;44(1):81–90.
Garduño RG, Hernández GT, Arellano MEL, de Gives PM. Resistencia antihelmíntica de nematodos parásitos en ovinos. Revista de Geografía Agrícola. 2012;(48–49):63–74.
Medina P, Guevara F, La O M, Ojeda N, Reyes N. Resistencia antihelmíntica en ovinos: una revisión de informes del sureste de México y alternativas disponibles para el control de nematodos gastrointestinales. Pastos y Forrajes. 2014;37:257–263.
Muñoz-Vargas L, Zamora-Sanabria R, Hidalgo-Jara W. Animal welfare, stress and food safety. In: R García Pinillos, SM Huertas Canén, editors. One Welfare Animal Health and Welfare, Food Security and Sustainability. Wallingford, UK: CABI; 2023. pp. 62–88.
Organización Mundial de Sanidad Animal. Código Sanitario para los Animales Terrestres. WOAH; 2024. https://www.woah.org/es/lo-que-ofrecemos-normas/codigo-terrestre-acceso-en-linea/
Organización Mundial de Sanidad Animal. Uso responsable y prudente de los fármacos antihelmínticos para contribuir al control de la resistencia a antihelmínticos en las especies ganaderas herbívoras [PDF]. WOAH; 2022. https://www.woah.org/fileadmin/Home/esp/Health_standards/docs/pdf/Antihelminticos_2022.pdf
García Pinillos R, Huertas Canén SM. One Welfare Animal Health and Welfare, Food Security and Sustainability. Wallingford, UK: CABI; 2023. doi.org/ 10.1079/9781789249507.0000.
Karaer MC, Čebulj-Kadunc N, Snoj T. Stress in wildlife: comparison of the stress response among domestic, captive, and free-ranging animals. Frontiers in Veterinary Science. 2023;10:1167016. doi.org/ 10.3389/fvets.2023.1167016.
Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía. Economía y Sectores Productivos. Ganadería. Aguascalientes, MX: 2020. https://www.inegi.org.mx/temas/ganaderia/
García E. Modificaciones al sistema de clasificación climática de Köppen. Mexico City, Mexico: Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Instituto de Geografía; 2004. 20 pp.
Coles GC, Bauer C, Borgsteede FHM, Geerts S, Klei TR, Taylor MA, et al. World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology (WAAVP) methods for the detection of anthelmintic resistance in nematodes of veterinary importance. Veterinary Parasitology. 1992;44:35–44.
Kaplan RM, Denwood MJ, Nielsen MK, Thamsborg SM, Torgerson PR, Gilleard JS, et al. World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology (WAAVP) guideline for diagnosing anthelmintic resistance using the faecal egg count reduction test in ruminants, horses and swine. Veterinary Parasitology. 2023;318:109936. doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2023.109936.
Bauer BU, Pomroy WE, Gueydon J, Gannac S, Scott I, Pfister K. Comparison of the FLOTAC technique with the McMaster method and the Baerman technique to determine counts of Dictyocaulus eckerti L1 and strongylid eggs in feces of red deer (Cervus elaphus). Parasitology Research. 2010;107(3):555–560. doi.org/10.1007/s00436-010-1918-4.
Corticelli B, Lai M. Ricerche sulla tecnica di coltura delle larve infestive degli strongili gastrointestinali del bovino. Acta Médica Veterinaria. 1963;9:347–357.
Van Wyk JA, Mayhew E. Morphological identification of parasitic nematode infective larvae of small ruminants and cattle: a practical lab guide. Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research. 2013;80(1):1–14. doi.org/10.4102/ojvr.v80i1.539.
Burke JM, Miller JE. Sustainable approaches to parasite control in ruminant livestock. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Food Animal Practice. 2020;36(1):89–107. doi.org/10.1016/j.cvfa.2019.11.007.
Chartier C, Pors I, Sutra JF, Alvinerie M. Efficacy and pharmacokinetics of levamisole hydrochloride in goats with nematode infections. Veterinary Record. 2000;146(12):350–351. doi.org/10.1136/vr.146.12.350.
Murri S, Knubben-Schweizer G, Torgerson P, Hertzberg H. Frequency of eprinomectin resistance in gastrointestinal nematodes of goats in canton Berne, Switzerland. Veterinary Parasitology. 2014;203(1–2):114–119. doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2014.02.052.
Dey AR, Begum N, Anisuzzaman, Alim MA, Alam MZ. Multiple anthelmintic resistance in gastrointestinal nematodes of small ruminants in Bangladesh. Parasitology International. 2020;77:102105. doi.org/10.1016/j.parint.2020.102105.
Bordes L, Dumont N, Lespine A, Souil E, Sutra JF, Prévot F, et al. First report of multiple resistance to eprinomectin and benzimidazole in Haemonchus contortus on a dairy goat farm in France. Parasitology International. 2020;76:102063. doi.org/10.1016/j.parint.2020.102063.
Mickiewicz M, Czopowicz M, Kawecka-Grochocka E, Moroz A, Szaluś-Jordanow O, et al. The first report of multidrug resistance in gastrointestinal nematodes in goat population in Poland. BMC Veterinary Research. 2020;16(1):270. doi.org/10.1186/s12917-020-02501-5.
Chaparro JJ, Villar D, Zapata JD, López S, Howell SB, López A, et al. Multidrug resistant Haemonchus contortus in a sheep flock in Antioquia, Colombia. Veterinary Parasitology: Regional Studies and Reports. 2017;10:29–34. doi.org/10.1016/j.vprsr.2017.07.005.
Arece-García J, López-Leyva Y, Olmedo-Juárez A, Ramírez-Vargas G, Reyes-Guerrero D, et al. First report of multiple anthelmintic resistance in goat farm in Cuba. Helminthologia. 2017;54(4):358–362. doi.org/10.1515/helm-2017-0037.
Rehbein S, Kellermann M, Wehner TA. Pharmacokinetics and anthelmintic efficacy of topical eprinomectin in goats prevented from grooming. Parasitology Research. 2014;113(11):4039–4044. doi.org/10.1007/s00436-014-4072-9.
Hamel D, Visser M, Kellermann M, Kvaternick V, Rehbein S. Anthelmintic efficacy and pharmacokinetics of pour-on eprinomectin (1 mg/kg bodyweight) against gastrointestinal and pulmonary nematode infections in goats. Small Ruminant Research. 2015;127:74–79. doi.org/10.1016/j.smallrumres.2015.04.003.
Alvinerie M, Lacoste E, Sutra JF, Chartier C. Some pharmacokinetic parameters of eprinomectin in goats following pour-on administration. Veterinary Research Communications. 1999;23:449–455.
De Souza Chagas AC, da Silva Vieira L, Rodrigues Aragão W, do Carmo Navarro AM, Vasques Villela LC. Anthelmintic action of eprinomectin in lactating Anglo-Nubian goats in Brazil. Parasitology Research. 2007;100(2):391–394. doi.org/10.1007/s00436-006-0316-7.
Hinney B, Wiedermann S, Kaiser W, Krücken J, Joachim A. Eprinomectin and moxidectin resistance of trichostrongyloids on a goat farm in Austria. Pathogens. 2022;11(5):498. doi.org/10.3390/pathogens11050498.
Nielsen P, Rasmussen F. Pharmacokinetics of levamisole in goats and pigs. In: Y Ruckebusch, PL Toutain, GD Koritz, editors. Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology. Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands; 1983. pp. 241–244.
Dalvi RR. Pharmacology and toxicology of levamisole in domestic animals: a review. International Journal of Animal Sciences. 1990;5(1):15–19.
Oliveira CC, Costa DFL, Limeira CH, Nogueira DB, Nascimento BHR, Vaz AFM. Anthelmintic intoxication in goats and sheep: a systematic review. Research in Veterinary Science. 2022;152:657–662. doi.org/10.1016/j.rvsc.2022.09.038.
Food Animal Residue Avoidance and Databank. 2025. https://www.farad.org
Olivas-Salazar R, Estrada-Angulo A, Mellado M, Aguilar-Caballero AJ, Castro-Pérez BI, et al. Prevalence of gastrointestinal nematode infections in goat flocks on semi-arid rangelands of northeastern Mexico. Tropical Animal Health and Production. 2018;50:807–813.
Olivas-Salazar R, Aguilar-Caballero AJ, Estrada-Angulo A, Mellado M, Castro-Pérez BI, et al. Factors associated to gastrointestinal nematodes infections in dairy goats grazing on semi-arid rangelands of northeastern Mexico. Tropical and Subtropical Agroecosystems. 2019;22(3):585–594.
Zajac AM, Gipson TA. Multiple anthelmintic resistance in goat herd. Veterinary Parasitology. 2000;87:163–172. doi.org/10.1016/s0304-4017(99)00174-0. PMID: 10622608.
Almeida FA, García KC, Torgerson PR, Amarante AF. Multiple resistance to anthelmintics by Haemonchus contortus and Trichostrongylus colubriformis in sheep in Brazil. Parasitology International. 2010;59(4):622–625. doi.org/10.1016/j.parint.2010.09.006.
Martínez-Ortiz-de-Montellano C, Torres-Acosta JFDJ, Ojeda-Robertos NF, González-Reyes L, Maldonado-Marín SA. Manejo integrado de parásitos en pequeños rumiantes. Bioagrociencias. 2022;15(2):4463. doi.org/10.56369/BAC.4463
License
Veterinaria México OA by Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia - Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence.
Based on a work at http://www.revistas.unam.mx
- All articles in Veterinaria México OA re published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Unported (CC-BY 4.0). With this license, authors retain copyright but allow any user to share, copy, distribute, transmit, adapt and make commercial use of the work, without needing to provide additional permission as long as appropriate attribution is made to the original author or source.
- By using this license, all Veterinaria México OAarticles meet or exceed all funder and institutional requirements for being considered Open Access.
- Authors cannot use copyrighted material within their article unless that material has also been made available under a similarly liberal license.