Abstract
Since 1999, two Cooperia oncophora isolates, originally obtained from the United Kingdom, have been maintained by regular passage through calves at the Macdonald Campus, McGill University farm. One isolate, IVS, was originally susceptible to ivermectin, while the IVR isolate was originally resistant to ivermectin. These two isolates have been used to study the mechanisms of ivermectin resistance. To confirm the susceptible/resistant status after 4 years of passaging through calves, a controlled study was performed in which two worm-free calves were experimentally infected with IVS and another two worm-free calves with the IVR infective larvae. The calves were treated with ivermectin (0.2 mg/kg) subcutaneously (Ivomec Injection) 21 days after infection. Ivermectin at the recommended dose was 100% effective at eliminating the IVS isolate, since no eggs were found in feces, and no adult worms were found in the small intestine of the treated IVS-infected calf. In contrast, the IVR-infected calf continued to pass eggs in feces even after treatment with ivermectin, and adult worms (250) were found in the small intestine at necropsy. The untreated calves had 1,330 and 848 adult worms, respectively, for the IVS and IVR infected animals.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Anziani OS, Zimmermann G, Guglielmone AA, Vazquez R, Suarez V (2001) Avermectin resistance in Cooperia pectinata in cattle in Argentina. Vet Rec 149:58–59
Arena JP, Liu KK, Paress PS, Frazier EG, Cully DF, Mrozik H, Schaeffer JM (1995) The mechanism of action of avermectins in Caenorhabditis elegans: correlation between activation of glutamate-sensitive chloride current, membrane binding, and biological activity. J Parasitol 81:286–294
Armour J, Bairden K, Holmes PH, Parkins JJ, Ploeger H, Salman SK, McWilliam PN (1987) Pathophysiological and parasitological studies on Cooperia oncophora infections in calves. Res Vet Sci 42:373–381
Benz GW, Roncalli RA, Gross SJ (1989) Ivermectin and avamectin. In: Campbell WC (ed) Springer, New York Berlin Heidelberg, p 215
Bisset SA, Brunsdon RV, Forbes S (1990) Efficacy of a topical formulation of ivermectin against naturally acquired gastrointestinal nematodes in weaner cattle. N Z Vet J 38:4-6
Borgsteede FH, Hendriks J (1979) Experimental infections with Cooperia oncophora (Railliet, 1918) in calves. Results of single infections with two graded dose levels of larvae. Parasitology 78:331–342
Claerebout E, Dorny P, Agneessens J, Demeulenaere D, Vercruysse J (1999) The effect of first season chemoprophylaxis in calves on second season pasture contamination and acquired resistance and resilience to gastrointestinal nematodes. Vet Parasitol 80:289–301
Coles GC, Bauer C, Borgsteede FH, Geerts S, Klei TR, Taylor MA, Waller PJ (1992) World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology (W.A.A.V.P.) methods for the detection of anthelmintic resistance in nematodes of veterinary importance. Vet Parasitol 44:35–44
Coles GC, Stafford KA, MacKay PH (1998) Ivermectin-resistant Cooperia species from calves on a farm in Somerset. Vet Rec 142:255–256
Coles GC, Watson CL, Anziani OS (2001) Ivermectin-resistant Cooperia in cattle. Vet Rec 148:283–284
Coop RL, Sykes AR, Angus KW (1979) The pathogenicity of daily intakes of Cooperia oncophora larvae in growing calves. Vet Parasitol 5:261–269
Cully DF, Vassilatis DK, Liu KK, Paress PS, Van der Ploeg LH, Schaeffer JM, Arena JP (1994) Cloning of an avermectin-sensitive glutamate-gated chloride channel from Caenorhabditis elegans. Nature 371:707–711
Dent JA, Smith MM, Vassilatis DK, Avery L (2000) The genetics of ivermectin resistance in Caenorhabditis elegans. Proc Natl Acad Sci U.S.A. 97:2674–2679
Familton AS, Mason P, Coles GC (2001) Anthelmintic-resistant Cooperia species in cattle. Vet Rec 149:719–720
Feng XP, Hayashi J, Beech RN, Prichard RK (2002) Study of the nematode putative GABA type-A receptor subunits: evidence for modulation by ivermectin. J Neurochem 83:870–878
Fiel CA, Saumell CA, Steffan PE, Rodriguez EM (2001) Resistance of Cooperia to ivermectin treatments in grazing cattle of the Humid Pampa, Argentina. Vet Parasitol 97:211–217
Holden-Dye L, Walker RJ (1990) Avermectin and avermectin derivatives are antagonists at the 4-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor on the somatic muscle cells of Ascaris; is this the site of anthelmintic action? Parasitology 101:265–271
Lacey E, Prichard RK (1986) Interactions of benzimidazoles (BZ) with tubulin from BZ-sensitive and BZ-resistant isolates of Haemonchus contortus. Mol Biochem Parasitol 19:171–181
Martin RJ (1996) An electrophysiological preparation of Ascaris suum pharyngeal muscle reveals a glutamate-gated chloride channel sensitive to the avermectin analogue, milbemycin D. Parasitology 112:247–252
Martin RJ, Robertson AP, Bjorn H, Sangster NC (1997) Heterogeneous levamisole receptors: a single-channel study of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors from Oesophagostomum dentatum. Eur J Pharmacol 322:249–257
McKenna PB (1995) Topically applied ivermectin and Cooperia infections in cattle. N Z Vet J 43:44
Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food, Great Britain (1986) Manual of veterinary parasitological laboratory techniques. H.M. Stationery Office, London
Njue AI, Hayashi J, Kinne L, Feng XP, Prichard RK (2004) Mutations in the extracellular domains of glutamate-gated chloride channel α3 and β subunits from ivermectin-resistant Cooperia oncophora affect agonist sensitivity. J Neurochem 89:1137–1147
Slotved HC, Barnes EH, Bjorn H, Christensen CM, Eriksen L, Roepstorff A, Nansen P (1996) Recovery of Oesophagostomum dentatum from pigs by isolation of parasites migrating from large intestinal contents embedded in agar-gel. Vet Parasitol 63:237–245
Vermunt JJ, West DM, Pomroy WE (1995) Multiple resistance to ivermectin and oxfendazole in Cooperia species of cattle in New Zealand. Vet Rec 137:43–45
Vermunt JJ, West DM, Pomroy WE (1996) Inefficacy of moxidectin and doramectin against ivermectin-resistant Cooperia spp. of cattle in New Zealand. N Z Vet J 44:188–193
West DM, Vermunt JJ, Pomroy WE, Bentall HP (1994) Inefficacy of ivermectin against Cooperia spp. infection in cattle. N Z Vet J 42:192–193
Acknowledgements
The authors are very grateful to Dr G.C. Coles for providing the Cooperia oncophora isolates. We also thank G. Bingham and D. Eshelby for technical assistance. This study was funded by Fort Dodge Animal Health and NSERC, Canada. The experiments reported here comply with the current laws of Canada
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Njue, A.I., Prichard, R.K. Efficacy of ivermectin in calves against a resistant Cooperia oncophora field isolate. Parasitol Res 93, 419–422 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-004-1149-x
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-004-1149-x