Anthelmintic treatment and the suppression of egg production in gastro-intestinal nematodes of sheep and cattle: Fact or fallacy?

Abstract

Evidence for a temporary suppression of egg production in gastro-intestinal nematodes of sheep and cattle following anthelmintic treatment is reviewed and the possible relevance of this phenomenon to the appropriate sampling time in the faecal egg count reduction test is discussed. The results of this review suggest that if such suppressive effects do occur in sheep nematodes, then they are unlikely to be of much practical significance and that little benefit would be derived from extending the post-treatment sampling interval beyond 10 days. For cattle nematodes, however, the issues are less readily obvious but indicate, at least when testing for resistance to persistent anthelmintics, that adoption of a longer post-treatment interval might be advisable.