Research of gastro-intestinal nematode resistance to anthelmintics in sheep in Algeria

Abstract

A study on gastro-intestinal nematode resistance to anthelmintics in sheep was carried out in a semiarid area of Algeria. Two drugs (albendazole and ivermectin) commonly used were tested in 120 and 40 sheep, respectively, in 14 farms by the fecal egg count reduction test (FECRT). Results revealed high efficiency of ivermectin (> 95%) at the dose of 0.2 mg/kg body weight. Overall efficiency of albendazole at 5 mg/kg was 94.2%, but it was low (< 90%) in four to five farms out of ten, and fecal egg reduction reached 83.3–100%. The persistence of Marshallagia marshalli after treatment was significantly the highest (70.4%) among other gastro-intestinal nematodes. FECRT interpretation with low eggs per gram of feces associated with this persistence and its relationship with the annual presence of the species in sheep are discussed.