Abstract
BackgroundThis study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of anthelmintics in goats raised under mountain farming conditions in northern Italy. On 8 goat farms (n = 143 animals), a faecal egg count reduction (FECR) test was done after farmers conducted their routine anthelmintic treatments. Furthermore, on 5 goat farms (n = 135 animals) a FECR test was done under controlled conditions applying oral formulations of a macrocyclic lactone (ML), benzimidazole (BZ) (partly in combination with salicylanilide (SA)) or a combination of imidazothiazole (IT) and SA on the same farm. AR was assumed if FECR and the upper confidence interval (CI) was < 95% and the lower 95% CI was < 90%.ResultsUnderdosing was found in 6 of the 8 farms tested after routine treatments. Out of the 6 routinely ML-treated goat flocks, only three were found where ML showed adequate efficacy. FECR in all others ranged between 64 and 93%. In one flock Trichostrongylus spp. and in one Haemonchus spp. larvae were identified after treatment. BZ-treated flocks had an efficacy of 99 and 37%. Larvae identified after treatment were Trichostrongylus spp. in one and Haemonchus spp. in the other flock. Under controlled conditions, ML had an adequate efficacy on 4 farms and a FECR of 88% on another one. BZ was effective on all farms. The combination of BZ and SA had a FECR of 99% on the farm it was tested. IT + SA in combination was effective on 2 farms and had a FECR of 91% on a third farm. Larvae identified after treatment were composed of Haemonchus spp. (ML and BZ), Trichostrongylus spp. (BZ) and Teladorsagia spp. (BZ and SA).ConclusionsThis first report on the prevalence of AR in goats in the mountainous region of South Tyrol reveals a low efficacy of the most commonly used anthelmintics after routine treatments. This might be explained by a high level of underdosing as observed in the farms. However, results from the controlled FECR tests suggest that the observed level of AR was lower but cannot be solely explained by underdosing.
Highlights
IntroductionGiven the great economic losses endoparasites cause in small ruminants because of reduced weight gains, decreased milk yields, discarded organs at slaughter and even deaths, regular whole-flock treatments with anthelmintics is still the most commonly used measure to control endoparasitic infections in small ruminants [1, 2]
This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of anthelmintics in goats raised under mountain farming conditions in northern Italy
This holds especially true for many alpine regions such as South Tyrol, Northern Italy where small ruminants constitute an important proportion of the livestock population but are predominantly raised by small-scale or hobby farms
Summary
Given the great economic losses endoparasites cause in small ruminants because of reduced weight gains, decreased milk yields, discarded organs at slaughter and even deaths, regular whole-flock treatments with anthelmintics is still the most commonly used measure to control endoparasitic infections in small ruminants [1, 2] Their decreasing efficacy as a consequence of its regular use has gained interest and anthelmintic. The implementation of control strategies is even more complicated compared to larger-scale production conditions, where the adoption of alternative GIN control measures such as the management of refugia, rotation of pasture areas or targeted (selective) treatments by farmers is already low [6] This holds especially true for many alpine regions such as South Tyrol, Northern Italy where small ruminants constitute an important proportion of the livestock population but are predominantly raised by small-scale or hobby farms. There was almost no use of coprological examinations to validate efficacy, even though 18% of the goat farmers already perceived that anthelmintics were not or only partly effective
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