From FECRT to PCR: Unveiling anthelmintic resistance in Czech sheep

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00027162%3A_____%2F25%3AN0000050" target="_blank" >RIV/00027162:_____/25:N0000050 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://waavp2025.com/" target="_blank" >https://waavp2025.com/</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

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Result language

angličtina

Original language name

From FECRT to PCR: Unveiling anthelmintic resistance in Czech sheep

Original language description

This contribution was presented as an oral lecture at the 30th Conference of the World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology (WAAVP 2025), held in Curitiba, Brazil, from 17 to 21 August 2025. Introduction: The latest WAAVP guidelines recommend the faecal egg count reduction test (FECRT) as the gold standard for detecting anthelmintic resistance in ruminants. However, its interpretation is limited when multiple strongylid species with varying drug sensitivities coexist. In the Czech Republic, data on anthelmintic resistance in small ruminants remain scarce. Objective: Due to the increasing impact of Haemonchus contortus on production in Czech small ruminant farms, we assessed the efficacy of nine different anthelmintics in a Suffolk sheep flock in the Czech Republic. Methods: A total of 120 three-month-old lambs from a single flock were sampled, weighed, and treated with one of nine anthelmintics (12 animals per group). Faecal samples were collected pre- and 14 days post-treatment. FECRT was performed alongside multiplex real-time PCR targeting Haemonchus spp., Teladorsagia spp., Trichostrongylus spp., Chabertia spp., and Nematodirus battus to provide species-specific insights. Results: FECRT revealed resistance to all tested anthelmintics except monepantel. Combining FECRT with real-time PCR provided a more detailed assessment of resistance at the strongylid species level. Notably, this is the first report of triple-resistant H. contortus (benzimidazoles, levamisole, and macrocyclic lactones) in sheep in the Czech Republic. Additionally, an avermectin-resistant (ivermectin, eprinomectin, doramectin) N. battus population was detected. Conclusion: Our study highlights the importance of integrating FECRT with real-time PCR for precise anthelmintic resistance diagnostics. The emergence of multi-drug-resistant H. contortus and avermectin resistant N. battus underscores the urgent need for sustainable parasite control strategies in Czech small ruminant farming.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

O - Miscellaneous

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

40301 - Veterinary science

Project

<a href="/en/project/QL24010306" target="_blank" >QL24010306: Sustainable parasite control in small ruminants corresponding to the One Health concept</a><br>

Continuities

P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)<br>I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2025

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů