The efficacy of levamisole, and a mixture of oxfendazole and levamisole, against the arrested stages of benzimidazole-resistant Haemonchus contortus and Ostertagia circumcincta in sheep

Sheep were allowed to graze pasture that had been seeded with benzimidazole-resistant Haemonchus contortus and Ostertagia circumcincta in order to acquire a burden of arrested larvae. Following housing, sheep were dosed orally with either oxfendazole at a dose rate of 4.7 mg/kg (to confirm the benzimidazole-resistant status of the species of nematode), levamisole at a dose rate of 7.5 mg/kg, or an oxfendazole/levamisole mixture at a dose rate of 4.6 mg/kg oxfendazole and 8.1 mg/kg levamisole. The efficacies of the treatments were assessed by estimation of the arrested larval burden in the abomasum of each sheep, either at 10 or 11 days (oxfendazole and oxfendazole/levamisole mixture), or 12 or 13 days (levamisole), after treatment. Compared to the untreated controls, the protection afforded by a single dose of either levamisole or the oxfendazole/levamisole mixture was >99% against the arrested stages of both Haemonchus contortus and Ostertagia circumcincta. Treatment with oxfendazole confirmed the benzimidazole-resistance status of the two species. (C)2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.