Efficacy of flukicides against Fasciola hepatica and first report of triclabendazole resistance on German sheep farms.

Kahl, Alexandra, von Samson-Himmelstjerna, Georg, Helm, Christina, Hodgkinson, Jane ORCID: 0000-0001-9152-8481, Williams, Diana ORCID: 0000-0001-8186-7236, Weiher, Wiebke, Terhalle, Werner ORCID: 0009-0008-9534-7491, Steuber, Stephan, Ganter, Martin ORCID: 0000-0003-1589-0803 and Krücken, Jürgen ORCID: 0000-0002-2842-8100 (2023) Efficacy of flukicides against Fasciola hepatica and first report of triclabendazole resistance on German sheep farms. International journal for parasitology. Drugs and drug resistance, 23. pp. 94-105.

Access the full-text of this item by clicking on the Open Access link.

Abstract

Fasciola hepatica infections lead to severe health problems and production losses in sheep farming, if not treated effectively. Triclabendazole has been used extensively over decades due to its unique efficacy range against all definitive hostfluke stages but published data about the susceptibility of F. hepatica to anthelmintics in Germany are lacking. This study aimed to identify current F. hepatica infections in German sheep flocks by coproscopic examinations and to evaluate the efficacy of anthelmintics with a focus on triclabendazole in a field study conducted from 2020 to 2022. Initial screening included 71 sheep farms, many of them with known history of fasciolosis. In this highly biased sample set, the frequency of F. hepatica infection at individual sheep and farm level were 12.8% and 35.2%, respectively. Additionally, eggs of Paramphistominae were found at frequencies of 4.8% and 15.5% at individual sheep and farm level, respectively. Due to low egg shedding intensity, faecal egg count reduction (FECR) tests could only be conducted on a few farms. The efficacy of triclabendazole was tested on 11 farms and albendazole on one farm, including 3-53 sheep/farm. Individual faecal samples were collected before and two weeks after treatment to evaluate the FECR using the sedimentation or FLUKEFINDER® or a modified FLUKEFINDER® method. On all farms a coproantigen reduction test was conducted in parallel. Lacking efficacy of triclabendazole even at double dosage was shown on one farm associated with a high number of animal losses due to acute fasciolosis. On this farm, the Fasciola miracidium development test was additionally performed, revealing a high in vitro ovicidal activity of albendazole while closantel was effective in vivo. On all other farms, sufficient efficacy of triclabendazole was observed. In conclusion, triclabendazole resistance appears not to be widespread on German sheep farms but, when present, can have serious effects on animal health.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Feces, Animals, Sheep, Fasciola hepatica, Fascioliasis, Sheep Diseases, Albendazole, Anthelmintics, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay, Drug Resistance, Farms, Triclabendazole
Divisions:	Faculty of Health and Life Sciences Faculty of Health and Life Sciences > Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	02 Jan 2024 16:19
Last Modified:	12 Jan 2024 01:13
DOI:	10.1016/j.ijpddr.2023.11.001
Open Access URL:	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpddr.2023.11.001
Related URLs:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3177663