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Molecular Knowledge of Mechanisms of Helminth Resistance: Importance for Diagnostic and Epidemiology

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New Frontiers of Molecular Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases

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Abstract

Helminths infestations in animals and humans are mostly controlled by anthelmintics. Large-scale treatment has led to resistance to many drugs, namely benzimidazoles, avermectins and levamisole. Whereas avermectins and levamisole resistance appear to be multigenic, benzimidazole resistance is largely monogenic, based on polymorphism in β-tubulin gene. Spatial distribution of β-tubulin alleles in closed helminths populations supports a common origin of alleles on a specific farm. The main forces responsible for anthelmintic resistance development in field populations are the introduction of ancestral alleles (i.e. pre existing polymorphism in helminths before herds’ constitution) and the selection of alleles appeared after herds’ constitution. The acquisition of resistance may have a cost that counterbalance the advantage of being resistant. For benzimidazole resistance, the interaction between life-traits combining advantages and disadvantages for resistant genotypes, compared to susceptible ones, may explain the stability of acquired resistance along years. Much remains to be done for avermectins and levamisole resistance, for which molecular mechanisms remain to be identified.

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  1. INRA, UR1282 Infectiologie Animale et Santé Publique, F-37380, Nouzilly, France

    Anne Silvestre & Jacques Cabaret

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  1. Anne Silvestre
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  2. Jacques Cabaret
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Correspondence to Anne Silvestre .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , CNRS, IRD, Université Montpellier 2, Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution, Montpellier Cedex 05, 34095, French S.Territ

    Serge Morand

  2. , Veterinary School-INRA, BP 40706, Unit of Animal Health Management, Nantes Cedex 03, 44307, French S.Territ

    François Beaudeau

  3. INRA, BASE, Ecology and Genetics of Para, Nouzilly, 37380, French S.Territ

    Jacques Cabaret

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Silvestre, A., Cabaret, J. (2012). Molecular Knowledge of Mechanisms of Helminth Resistance: Importance for Diagnostic and Epidemiology. In: Morand, S., Beaudeau, F., Cabaret, J. (eds) New Frontiers of Molecular Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-2114-2_11

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