Anthelmintic resistance: past, present and future

Abstract

Anthelmintic resistance continues to increase in geographic range, in the number of species affected and the range of drugs involved. Several aspects of resistance have emerged as important issues. They include lack of genetic reversion, presence of side resistance and lack of universality. Furthermore, resistant isolates recovered from the field may have different characteristics to those selected in pen passage. Research into anthelmintic resistance has not progressed far beyond the stage of descriptive research. Some progress has been made in developing control strategies and in diagnosing resistance, especially in the development and adoption of in-vitro tests. However, these still need improvements in their ability to detect resistance to closantel and avermectin/milbemycin anthelmintics. Less progress into understanding the basis of resistance has occurred. Research priorities include improvement of diagnostic tests and the development of molecular tests, particularly for resistance to levamisole and the avermectin/milbemycins. Resistance itself, as a selectable marker for genetic transfection in parasites, is a potential tool for investigating parasite biology.