Controlled tests of activity of several antiparasitic compounds against natural infections of Haemonchus contortus and other helminths in lambs from a flock established in 1962

Antiparasitic activity of several compounds was evaluated over a long period (about 25 years) in the same flock of sheep. Haemonchus contortus was of special interest, including its relation to drug resistance, especially to thiabendazole and other benzimidazoles, in addition to phenothiazine. Eleven compounds were evaluated in 15 controlled tests, done between 1966 and 1989 in naturally infected lambs (n = 145) born and raised on the same pasture. Sheep were first placed on the pasture in 1962, and a few more were added thereafter. Internal parasites in these sheep were classified in 3 general categories: indeterminate exposure to parasiticides; H contortus, resistant to thiabendazole; and H contortus, resistant to phenothiazine. The parasitic infections probably became more homogeneous after several years because of few introductions of outside sheep after initial establishment of the flock. Activity against naturally acquired internal helminths was evaluated for cambendazole (CBZ: dosage, 20 mg/kg of body weight), fenbendazole (FBZ: 5 or 7.5 mg/kg), mebendazole (MBZ: 10 mg/kg); oxfendazole (OFZ: 3.5 or 10 mg/kg), oxibendazole (OBZ: 10 mg/kg); parbendazole (PBZ: 15 mg/kg), phenothiazine (PTZ: 550 mg/kg); pyrantel pamoate (PRT: 25 mg base/kg), tetramizole (TET: 15 mg/kg); thiabendazole (TBZ: 30 or 44 mg/kg), and trichlorfon (TCF: 100 mg/kg). Thiabendazole was used more often (9 tests) than the other compounds. Thiabendazole was more active against mature H contortus in later years than when first used in 1966, although it was never 100% effective. Efficacy against immature H contortus for TBZ did not exceed 86%. Activity against immature and mature stages of this parasite was good overall for the other benzimidazoles. Results indicated no definite side resistance of non-TBZ benzimidazoles for this species. Removal of both stages of H contortus was generally low for PTZ. For the other nonbenzimidazoles (PRT, TET, and TCF), efficacy against immature and mature H contortus was 93 to 100%, except for 1 test with PRT (79% on mature worms) and 1 with TCF (77% on immature worms). With regard to other abomasal parasites, activity for the compounds tested against 2 species of Ostertagia was greater than or equal to 97%, with 1 exception; numbers of these parasites in nontreated lambs were less than numbers of H contortus. All compounds, except PTZ and TCF, were effective against a third species, Trichostrongylus axei. Activity against several species of intestinal parasites, most present in low numbers, was determined for 5 compounds (TCF, TBZ, CBZ, PTZ, and PRT) in 5 rests. Thiabendazole, CBZ, and PRT were highly effective against trichostrongylus, with a few exceptions. Trichlorfon and PTZ had overall less activity against trichostrongylus than did the other products. Against trichurids, PRT and TCF were highly efficacious.