Benzimidazole resistance of gastrointestinal nematodes in small ruminants in the Gambia and Senegal

Abstract

A survey on benzimidazole (BZ) resistance in gastrointestinal nematodes has been carried out in 55 flocks of sheep and goats in The Gambia and Senegal using the fecal egg count reduction test and egg hatch assay. BZ resistance was suspected in four cases out of 34 examined village flocks. In the 21 improved flocks, however, BZ resistance was present in two cases and suspected in four. This is the first report of BZ resistance in gastrointestinal nematodes of small ruminants in The Gambia and Senegal. Further research should be carried out on a larger scale in order to measure the prevalence of nematodes’ anthelmintic resistance in the region and to identify the helminth species involved.