LABORATORY SELECTION OF A BENZIMIDAZOLE-RESISTANT ISOLATE OF TRICHOSTRONGYLUS-COLUBRIFORMIS FOR IVERMECTIN RESISTANCE

In vivo ivermectin resistance was selected in an isolate of Trichostrongylus colubriformis (TcR) already known to be benzimidazole resistant. This was accomplished in sheep by using levels of ivermectin calculated to reduce the fecal egg output from each generation of T. colubriformis by ~95%. The first indication of ivermectin resistance was observed with the F10. A dosage-titration trial comparing the parent TcR with the ivermectin-selected F21 demonstrated that the latter was ~20 times more resistant to oral ivermectin therapy in experimentally infected sheep than was the parent isolate. Treatment of the F16 generation with 50 mg/kg of thiabendazole resulted in only 54% egg reduction and confirmed that benzimidazole resistance was stable.