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Short Communications

Resistance of TABLE 1: Mean (sd) faecal egg counts and efficacy (%) of three anthelmintics used to treat
case (groups 1 to 3) and control (groups 4 to 6) sheep flocks in a study on Fasciola hepatica
resistance in the province of León, north-west Spain
Fasciola hepatica to Days after treatment

triclabendazole and Group*

0
Mean (sd)
epg epg
6

(%) epg
16
Mean (sd) Efficacy Mean (sd) Efficacy
(%) epg
30
Mean (sd) Efficacy
(%)
albendazole in sheep 1 228 73·9 54·2 51·3 70·8 87·3 46·4

in Spain 2
(185·9)
128
(94·5)
(87·4)
2·5
(7·7)
95·7
(43·1)
15·8
(13·1)
81·8
(64·6)
16·8
(14·9)
75·7

3 102 12·3 85·4 14 79·4 18·2 73·4

M. A. Álvarez-Sánchez, (60·1) (34·9) (18·3) (22·9)
4 106 6·25 94·1 5 95·3 6·8 93·6
R. C. Mainar-Jaime, J. Pérez-García, (80·3) (13·5) (9·8) (10·3)
5 160 3·4 97·9 12·5 92·2 0 100
F. A. Rojo-Vázquez (207·3) (7·8) (4·3)
6 108·7 2·5 97·1 1·25 98·8 0 100
UNTIL the development of triclabendazole, closantel, clor- (179·4) (5·8) (4·3)
sulon and albendazole were the drugs of choice for the treat-
ment and control of fasciolosis. All of these drugs have a high * Groups 1 and 4 were treated with 7·5 mg/kg albendazole, groups 2 and 5 were treated with
10 mg/kg triclabendazole and groups 3 and 6 were treated with a combination of 0·2 mg/kg
efficacy against mature flukes, but some have a moderate ivermectin plus 2 mg/kg clorsulon
clorsulon or low albendazole effect against immature forms epg Eggs per gram of faeces
(Onar 1990, Rehbein and Visser 1999). On the other hand,
triclabendazole has a high efficacy against all stages of liver
fluke in ruminants (Boray and others 1983). (54·2 per cent). Triclabendazole and ivermectin/clorsulon
The first reports of Fasciola hepatica resistance to fluki- both provided greater efficacy than that of albendazole, at
cides in field and laboratory conditions were reported at the 95·7 per cent and 85·4 per cent, respectively. The efficacy
end of the 1980s (Boray and De Bono 1989). Since 1995, sev- of ivermectin/clorsulon was as expected 30 days after treat-
eral reports of F hepatica resistance to triclabendazole under ment. However, the efficacy of triclabendazole was lower
field conditions have been reported in Australia (Overend and than expected at 16 and 30 days after treatment. Within the
Bowen 1995), Ireland (Lane 1998, O’Brien 1998), Scotland control flock, anthelmintic efficacies for albendazole, tricla-
(Mitchell and others 1988), Wales (Thomas and others 2000) bendazole and ivermectin/clorsulon were all greater than 90
and the Netherlands (Moll and others 2000, Gaasenbeek and per cent at all sample times. This is the first description of
others 2001). There is no existing evidence to indicate the F hepatica resistance to albendazole and triclabendazole in
frequency of this phenomenon in sheep flocks in Spain. This Spain.
short communication describes the results of a field investi- Moreover, although ivermectin/clorsulon showed a high
gation carried out on a commercial sheep flock in north-west efficacy of more than 95 per cent within the control flock,
Spain suspected of having developed anthelmintic-resistant its efficacy was significantly reduced in the case flock (79·4
F hepatica. per cent on day 16 after treatment). Although there are
The study was carried out on a meat-production sheep no descriptions of F hepatica resistance to clorsulon, these
farm. The flock was extensively managed, with animals graz- results may suggest the beginning of a reduction of efficacy
ing on pastures surrounding the premises for at least five to for this drug family. Furthermore, Coles and Stafford (2001)
eight hours each day. The farm was located in the western have reported an apparent reduced efficacy of clorsulon in
part of the province of León in north-west Spain, next to a triclabendazole-resistant flukes.
coal-fired power generating plant. Although the region had It seems that resistance in F hepatica may arise rapidly
a typical Mediterranean climate, the influence of the power under certain circumstances (including appropriate climatic
plant, through the continuous release of steam, made the area conditions, continued infection during the whole year, con-
mild and humid, with green pastures throughout the year. comitant nematode gastrointestinal infections and improper
A total of 52 ewes were randomly selected and then ran- use of anthelmintics). Given the unlikelihood of any new
domly allocated into three groups. The ewes in group 1 drugs against F hepatica being developed in the foreseeable Veterinary Record (2006)
(n=15) were drenched with 7·5 mg/kg albendazole, those in future, the emergence of this type of resistance represents an 159, 424-425
group 2 (n=19) were treated with 10 mg/kg triclabendazole, important threat. There is an urgent need for research on the
and those in group 3 (n=18) were treated with 0·2 mg/kg correct use of available fasciolicides and alternative control M. A. Álvarez-Sánchez,
ivermectin plus 2 mg/kg clorsulon. strategies. Furthermore, it must be assumed that if reversion DVM, PhD, DipEVPC,
Faecal F hepatica egg counts were conducted for each of anthelmintic resistance is difficult for gastrointestinal R. C. Mainar-Jaime, DVM,
animal on the day of treatment and 6, 16 and 30 days after nematode parasites, it will be even more difficult for liver PhD,
treatment using a modified McMaster method with a zinc flukes (Borgsteede and others 2005). J. Pérez-García, DVM,
sulphate solution (density 1·33 g/ml) as flotation fluid. A sen- PhD,
sitivity of 15 eggs per gram of faeces (epg) was used. F. A. Rojo-Vázquez, DVM,
To check the efficacy of the drugs, a second F hepatica- References PhD, DipEVPC,
infected flock with no suspicion of any kind of anthelmintic BORAY, J. C., CROWFOOT, P. D., STRONG, M. B., ALLISON, J. R., Departamento de
resistance was selected from the same province as a control. SCHELLENBAUM, M., VON ORELLI, M. & SARASIN, G. (1983) Treatment Patología Animal
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three 12-ewe groups: group 4 were drenched with albend- azole. Veterinary Record 113, 315-317 Facultad de Veterinaria,
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In Advances in Veterinary Science. Eds P. M. Outteridge, R. D. Richards.
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shown in Table 1. As expected for the case flock, the effi- COLES, G. C. & STAFFORD, K. A. (2001) Activity of oxyclozanide, nitroxynil, Correspondence to
cacy of albendazole was very low on day 6 after treatment clorsulon and albendazole against adult triclabendazole-resistant Fasciola Professor Rojo-Vázquez

The Veterinary Record, September 23, 2006

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 Downloaded from http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/ on June 4, 2015 - Published by group.bmj.com

Resistance of Fasciola hepatica to

triclabendazole and albendazole in sheep in
Spain
M. A. Álvarez-Sánchez, R. C. Mainar-Jaime, J. Pérez-García and F. A.
Rojo-Vázquez

Veterinary Record 2006 159: 424-425

doi: 10.1136/vr.159.13.424

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