Further studies with a strain of Ostertagia ostertagi resistant to morantel tartrate

Abstract

Two experiments with a morantel resistant strain of Ostertagia ostertagi were carried out. In the first experiment five groups of five calves were infected with 60,000 larvae of this resistant strain. Calves of one group remained untreated, calves of the other groups were treated with morantel tartrate, oxfendazole, levamisole or ivermectin in the recommended doses. It was demonstrated that there was side resistance to levamisole, but not to oxfendazole or ivermectin. Compared with the untreated controls the reduction percentages of the worm burdens were 45.3 (morantel tartrate), 99.7 (oxfendazole), 83.5 (levamisole) and 100 (ivermectin). In the second experiment a comparison was made between the effect of levamisole against a morantel susceptible strain of O. ostertagi and the resistant strain. Two groups of five calves were infected with the susceptible strain and two groups with the resistant one. One group of each pair remained untreated, the other was treated with levamisole. The reduction percentages of the worm burdens were 99.6 (susceptible strain) and 63.6 (resistant strain). This result confirms the efficacy of levamisole to susceptible O. ostertagi and the side resistance of the morantel resistant strain.