Efficiency of a genetic test to detect benzimidazole resistant Haemonchus contortus nematodes in sheep farms in Quebec,Canada

Haemonchus contortus is a hemophilic nematode which infects sheep and causes anemia and death to lambs. Benzimidazole drugs are used to remove these parasites, but the phenomenon of resistance has arisen worldwide. A sensitive test to detect resistance before treatment would be a useful tool to enable farmers to anticipate the efficiency of the drug before drenching the flock. In this study, we compared a test for benzimidazole resistance based on detection of genetic markers in H. contortus before treatment with the common method of fecal egg count reduction test (FECRT). We recruited 11 farms from different regions of Quebec for this study. Fecal samples from animals were collected per rectum before and after treatment in control and treated groups (10 animals per group). The 10 sheep were treated with fenbendazole at the recommended dose rate. Among the 11 farms participating in the study, we found H. contortus in 8 of them and it was the most predominant nematode species detected by egg count. Using the genetic test, we found benzimidazole resistance in each of these 8 farms. In 5 of these 8 farms there were sufficient sheep with an egg count for H. contortus above 150 eggs per gram to allow the FECRT test to be conducted. Benzimidazole resistance was observed in each of these 5 farms by the FECRT. When we compared the results from the genetic test for samples off pasture and from individual sheep, with the results from the FECRT, we concluded that the genetic test can be applied to samples collected off pasture to estimate benzimidazole resistance levels before treatment for H. contortus infections.