Skip to main content
Log in

Is the micro-agar larval development test reliable enough to detect ivermectin resistance?

  • Short Communication
  • Published:
Parasitology Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

To aid the diagnosis of anthelmintic resistance, a range of in vivo and in vitro techniques have been developed. Amongst in vitro techniques, the larval development test is the most widely employed. Six lambs were infected with susceptible (three) and ivermectin-resistant (three) isolates of Haemonchus contortus. The micro-agar larval development test (MALDT) was able to easily distinguish between susceptible and resistant isolates. Different proportions of resistant and susceptible eggs were subsequently incubated, i.e. development to the third larval stage occurred only in the resistant isolate. The percentage of resistant eggs ranged from 2 to 20.0 % of all eggs in the wells. In all cases, the MALDT was able to detect the presence of a minimum of 10 % of resistant worms amongst a susceptible background population. The probability was approximately 87 % of positively diagnosing a proportion of resistant worms of only 2–4 % within the population.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

References

  • Bartley DJ, Jackson E, Johnston K, Coop RL, Mitchell GBB, Sales J, Jackson F (2003) A survey of anthelmintic resistant nematode parasites in Scottish sheep flocks. Vet Parasitol 117:61–71

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Borgsteede FHM, Dercksen DD, Huijbers R (2007) Doramectin and albendazole resistance in sheep in The Netherlands. Vet Parasitol 144:180–183

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Čerňanská D, Várady M, Čorba J (2006) A survey on anthelmintic resistance in nematode parasites of sheep in the Slovak Republic. Vet Parasitol 135:39–45

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Coles GC, Tritschler JJ II, Giordano DJ, Laste NJ, Schmidt AL (1988) A larval development test for detection of anthelmintic resistant nematodes. Res Vet Sci 45:50–53

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Coles GC, Rhodes AC, Wolstenholme AJ (2005) Rapid selection for ivermectin resistance in Haemonchus contortus. Vet Parasitol 129:345–347

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Coles GC, Jackson F, Pomroy WE, Prichard RK, von Samson-Himmelstjerna G, Silvestre A, Taylor MA, Vercruysse J (2006) The detection of anthelmintic resistance in nematodes of veterinary importance. Vet Parasitol 31:167–185

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Demeler J (2005) The physiological site of action and the site of resistance to the macrocyclic lactone anthelmintics in sheep parasitic trichostrongyloid nematodes. Dissertation, Tierärztliche Hochschule Hannover, Germany

  • Dobson RJ, Griffiths DA, Donald AD, Waller PJ (1987) A genetic model describing the evolution of levamisole resistance in Trichostrongylus colubriformis, a nematode parasite of sheep. IMA J Math Appl Med Biol 4:279–293

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gill JH, Redwin JM, Van Wyk JA, Lacey E (1995) Avermectin inhibition of larval development in Haemonchus contortus—effects of ivermectin resistance. Int J Parasitol 25:463–470

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hubert J, Kerboeuf D (1984) A new method for culture of larvae used in diagnosis of ruminant gastrointestinal strongylosis: comparison with faecal cultures. Can J Comp Med 48:63–71

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hubert J, Kerboeuf D (1992) A microlarval development assay for the detection of anthelmintic resistance in sheep nematodes. Vet Rec 130:442–446

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Johansen MV (1989) An evaluation of techniques used for the detection of anthelmintic resistance in nematode parasites of domestic livestock. Vet Res Commun 13:455–466

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kotze AC, Dobson RJ, Tyrrell KL, Stein PA (2002) High-level ivermectin resistance in a field isolate of Haemonchus contortus associated with a low level of resistance in the larval stage: implications for resistance detection. Vet Parasitol 108:255–263

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lacey E, Redwin JM, Gill GH, Demargheriti VM, Waller PJ (1991) A larval development assay for the simultaneous detection of broad spectrum anthelmintic resistance. In: Boray JC, Martin PJ, Roush RT (eds) Resistance of parasites to antiparasitic drugs. MSD AGVET, Rahway, pp 177–184

    Google Scholar 

  • Roos MH, Otsen M, Hoekstra R, Veenstra JG, Lenstra JA (2004) Genetic analysis of inbreeding of two strains of the parasitic nematode Haemonchus contortus. Int J Parasitol 34:109–115

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor MA, Hunt KR, Goodyear KL (2002) Anthelmintic resistance detection methods. Vet Parasitol 103:183–194

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor MA (1990) A larval development test for the detection of anthelmintic resistance in nematodes of sheep. Res Vet Sci 49:198–202

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Traversa D, Paoletti B, Otranto D, Miller J (2007) First report of multiple drug resistance in trichostrongyles affecting sheep under field conditions in Italy. Parasit Res 101:1713–1716

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Várady M, Čudeková P, Čorba J (2007) In vitro detection of benzimidazole resistance in Haemonchus contortus: egg hatch test versus larval development test. Vet Parasitol 149:104–110

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Várady M, Čorba J, Letková V, Kováč G (2009) Comparison of two versions of larval development test to detect anthelmintic resistance in Haemonchus contortus. Vet Parasitol 160:267–271

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Várady M, Papadopoulos E, Dolinská M, Königová A (2011) Anthelmintic resistance in parasites of small ruminants: sheep versus goats. Helminthologia 48:137–144

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • von Samson-Himmelstjerna G, Coles GC, Jackson F, Bauer C, Borgsteede F, Cirak VY, Demeler J, Donnan A, Dorny P, Epe C, Harder A, Höglund J, Kaminsky R, Kerboeuf D, Küttler U, Papadopoulos E, Posedi J, Small J, Várady M, Vercruysse J, Wirtherle N (2009) Standardization of the egg hatch test for the detection of benzimidazole resistance in parasitic nematodes. Parasitol Res 105:825–828

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The study was supported by VEGA grant agency, grant no. 2/0135/10 of the Scientific Agency of the Slovak Academy of Sciences and by Slovak Research and Development Agency project no. LPP-0186-07.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marián Várady.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Dolinská, M., Königová, A. & Várady, M. Is the micro-agar larval development test reliable enough to detect ivermectin resistance?. Parasitol Res 111, 2201–2204 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-012-2944-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-012-2944-4

Keywords

Navigation