Lack of efficacy of topical administration of eprinomectin against gastrointestinal nematode in a French dairy sheep farm: A case of underexposure of worms

Abstract

AbstractResistance to eprinomectin was suspected in a dairy sheep farm in southwestern France. The efficacy of topical and injection formulations of eprinomectin against gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs) was compared using a faecal egg count reduction test. GIN species were identified by real‐time PCR, and eprinomectin concentrations were measured in serum by High‐Performance Liquid Chromatography 2 and 5 days after treatment. Efficacies were 99.6% and 86.1% for injection and topical formulations, respectively. Before treatment, the three species Haemonchus contortus, Teladorsagia circumcincta and Trichostrongylus colubriformis were identified in both groups. After treatment, H. contortus and T. colubriformis were identified in the topical group only. Two days after treatment, eprinomectin concentrations were above 2 ng/ml in the injection group and under this value in the topical group, suggesting underexposure of GIN to eprinomectin in this latter group. High levels of exposure to eprinomectin are important to avoid loss of efficacy in the field.