Research updates in small ruminant parasitology

Abstract

For years, livestock farmers have relied on the use of anthelmintics as their sole means for controlling helminth infections; however, this strategy has proven to be unsustainable. The current high levels of anthelmintic resistance to multiple drug classes makes it difficult to control parasites using chemical means alone. Furthermore, the lack of new classes of anthelmintic drugs means that the drugs we have now will be all we have for quite a long time. Thus, parasite control needs to be viewed more holistically within an ecological context and practiced in a multi-pronged integrated manner. Here, we review some of the recent literature on parasite control in small ruminants that addresses these issues.