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Pathogenesis, Epidemiology, and Drug Resistance in Nematode Parasites

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A special issue of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817). This special issue belongs to the section "Parasitic Pathogens".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 March 2025 | Viewed by 3600

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Silvina Fernández

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Guest Editor

Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil, UNCPBA-CONICET-CICPBA, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, UNCPBA, 7000 Tandil, Argentina
Interests: parasite epidemiology; gastrointestinal nematodes; anthelmintic resistance; integrated parasite control; parasite biology

Dr. America Mederos

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Guest Editor

Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria—INIA Uruguay, 11000 Montevideo, Uruguay
Interests: parasite epidemiology; gastrointestinal nematodes; veterinary diagnostics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Parasitic nematodes are prevalent worldwide and are responsible for a wide range of diseases in both humans and animals. Some nematodes can cause serious morbidity and produce long-term disabilities in humans, while others lead to substantial economic losses in production animals and have highly negative impacts in companion animals. Many nematode species are free-living in nature or undergo a free-living phase within their cycles, which makes their control a much more complicated challenge as extensive understanding of parasite biology, ecology and disease epidemiology are needed to implement successful control measures. Added to this is the widespread problem in veterinary medicine of anthelmintic resistance, which currently extends not only to livestock production systems around the globe but also to companion animals.

This Special Issue of Pathogens will highlight recent advances in fundamental and applied research into parasitic diseases caused by nematodes, with a focus on the pathogenesis of parasitic disease, biology and epidemiology, anthelmintic resistance and current developments, all of which will provide the basis for sustainable long-term control.

Dr. Silvina Fernández
Dr. America Mederos
Guest Editors

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Keywords

nematode parasites
anthelmintic resistance
mechanisms
parasite biology
pathogenesis
epidemiology
disease control

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

8 pages, 562 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Use of the Micro-Agar Larval Development Test to Differentiate Resistant and Susceptible Cooperia spp. Isolates in Cattle Within the Context of Parasite Population Replacement

by Mariana Elisabet Fuentes, Mercedes Lloberas, Gisele Bernat, Eliana Riva, Milagros Junco and Silvina Fernández

Pathogens 2024, 13(11), 952; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens13110952 - 31 Oct 2024

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Abstract

Gastrointestinal nematode infections are a global concern in grazing cattle production systems, even more so due to the widespread problem of anthelmintic resistance. In response, early anthelmintic resistance detection methods, such as the micro-agar larval development test (MALDT), and parasite management strategies, such as the replacement of resistant parasite populations with susceptible ones, have been developed. This study aimed to characterize ivermectin-susceptible and -resistant isolates of Cooperia spp. using MALDT in the context of a parasite population replacement strategy. Three Cooperia spp. field isolates were evaluated: a susceptible one (Coop-S), a resistant one (Coop-R), and a post-replacement one (Coop-PR). The MALDT was performed in 96-well plates with 12 known concentrations of eprinomectin (EPR) on an agar base. Each test was performed in quadruplicate. Data analysis included nonlinear regression to determine EC50, EC90, and EC99 values, resistance ratios (RRs), and R². The results showed clear differentiation between the isolates, with RR values of 5.78 and 1.28 for Coop-R and Coop-PR, respectively, compared to Coop-S. The MALDT proved to be a reliable tool for differentiating ivermectin-susceptible from ivermectin-resistant isolates of Cooperia spp., and future evaluations of this test in mixed nematode populations are recommended for routine diagnosis of anthelmintic resistance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pathogenesis, Epidemiology, and Drug Resistance in Nematode Parasites)

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12 pages, 250 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Prevalence of Helminths in Small Ruminant Farms and Evaluation of Control Practices Used to Counter Anthelmintic Resistance in Southern Italy

by Fabio Castagna, Roberto Bava, Marta Gagliardi, Simone Russo, Giusi Poerio, Stefano Ruga, Carmine Lupia, Giuseppe Cringoli, Antonio Bosco, Laura Rinaldi, Ernesto Palma, Domenico Britti and Vincenzo Musella

Pathogens 2024, 13(6), 493; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens13060493 - 9 Jun 2024

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Abstract

Anthelmintic resistance in small ruminants is a serious worldwide problem. To reduce their spread, it is essential to know the prevalence of helminths on farms and the control practices adopted. As these studies in the Calabria region of southern Italy are fragmentary and outdated, a study on the prevalence of helminths in small ruminant holdings in this area has been conducted. The measures implemented to control helminths were also evaluated through questionnaires administered to farmers. In particular, on 90 farms (45 sheep and 45 goats), 1800 faecal samples from 900 sheep and 900 goats were collected in the spring. Using the FLOTAC dual technique, parasitological examinations demonstrated the presence of gastrointestinal nematodes in 100% of sheep and goat farms, followed by Nematodirus spp. (84.44% sheep and 48.89% goats), Moniezia spp. (73.33% sheep and 35.56% goats), Trichuris ovis (48.89% sheep and 42.22% goats), lungworms (28.89% sheep and 42.22% goats), Strongyloides papillosus (40% sheep and 26.67% goats), Dicrocoelium dendriticum (13.33% sheep and 26.67% goats), Calicophoron daubneyi (6.67% sheep and 31.11% goats), Fasciola hepatica (6.67% sheep and 4.44% goats), and Skrjabinema ovis (4.44% sheep and goats). The questionnaires showed that 82% and 85% of the farmers had applied pasture rotation, and that 93.3% and 86.6% had used anthelmintics in the previous year for sheep and goats, respectively. Only 24.4% of sheep farmers and 11.3% of goat farmers had carried out parasitological tests prior to treatments. The most used classes of anthelmintics were macrocyclic lactones and benzimidazoles, and only in 21.6% and 15.6%, for sheep and goats, respectively, was drug rotation carried out. These results denote that helminths represent a health problem for small ruminants and highlight a lack of knowledge of parasite control strategies among farmers. In these conditions, anthelmintic resistance phenomena could develop over time. Therefore, it is necessary to implement all possible strategies for the control of helminths, and to prevent the spread of anthelmintic resistance phenomena on farms in southern Italy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pathogenesis, Epidemiology, and Drug Resistance in Nematode Parasites)

14 pages, 1210 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Farmers’ and Experts’ Knowledge Coping with Sheep Health, Control and Anthelmintic Resistance of Their Gastrointestinal Nematodes

by Jacques Cabaret and Christian Nicourt

Pathogens 2024, 13(4), 297; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens13040297 - 2 Apr 2024

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Abstract

Gastrointestinal nematodes are common in grazing sheep, but the intensity of the infection is not easily appreciated by farmers. For decades, they have relied on anthelmintic treatments to control these gastrointestinal nematodes. This has led to anthelmintic resistance and poor control of infection in most regions of the world. Using face-to-face semidirective interviews with farmers, we recorded their views on gastrointestinal nematode infection and its control. Ten organic and nine conventional meat sheep farmers from central France and 20 milk sheep farmers from the Basque region were interviewed and the data were analysed using a health model based on the importance of the disease and the barriers to implementing control. It was found that gastrointestinal nematodes were not the main health concern, and therefore farmers were not willing to invest too much time and money in their control. The conventional farmers relied on their veterinarians (the experts) to organise and select the anthelmintics, although they complained about the limited investment of their veterinarians in this matter. Organic farmers complained about their lack of knowledge about complementary and alternative medicines. Farmers rarely used faecal egg counts to build control of gastrointestinal nematodes and were unaware of the intensity of their infection. Knowledge of anthelmintic resistance was general (it exists) but farmers did not know if it existed on their farm. Resistance was often considered to have come from elsewhere, so the farmer did not feel at fault and did not take measures to prevent resistance. There is a need for all stakeholders to use faecal egg counts to assess the intensity of infection as well as the level of anthelmintic resistance to establish individual farm control programmes rather than standard blanket treatments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pathogenesis, Epidemiology, and Drug Resistance in Nematode Parasites)

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Figure 1

Figure 1
Multivariate analysis of farmers interviews with tTropes in organic farms of central France: vision of themselves and how they see the veterinarians (blue dot). The left part of the graph corresponds to the beginning and the right part to the ongoing interview. The words are exactly located on the figure at the place of their first letter. Words in the same location on the figure are related. The words near the blue dot are strongly related to the farmer or veterinarians and those far away are only loosely related. Full article ">Figure 2
Multivariate analysis of farmers interviews with tTropes in conventional farms of central France: vision of themselves and how they see the veterinarians (blue dot). The left part of the graph corresponds to the beginning and the right part to the ongoing interview. The words are exactly located on the figure at the place of their first letter. Words in the same location on the figure are related. The words near the blue dot are strongly related to the farmer or veterinarians and those far away are only loosely related. Full article ">Figure 3
Multivariate analysis of farmers interviews with tTropes in conventional farms of the Basque region of France: vision of themselves and how they see the veterinarians (blue dot). The left part of the graph corresponds to the beginning and the right part to the ongoing interview. The words are exactly located on the figure at the place of their first letter. Words in the same location on the figure are related. The words near the blue dot are strongly related to the farmer or veterinarians and those far away are only loosely related. Full article ">

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