TY - JOUR

T1 - Restrictions of anthelmintic usage

T2 - perspectives and potential consequences

AU - Nielsen, Martin Krarup

PY - 2009

Y1 - 2009

N2 - Given the increasing levels of anthelmintic resistance in equine parasites, parasitologists nowrecommend traditional treatment approaches to be abandoned and replaced by more sustainablestrategies. It is of crucial importance to facilitate veterinary involvement to ensure that treatmentdecisions are based on parasitic knowledge. Despite recommendations given for the past twodecades, strategies based on the selective therapy principle have not yet been implemented on alarger scale in equine establishments. In contrast, treatment regimens appear to be derived fromrecommendations originally given in 1966. The province of Quebec in Canada, and an increasingnumber of European countries, have implemented prescription-only restrictions on anthelminticdrugs. Denmark introduced this legislation ten years ago, and some evidence has been generateddescribing potential consequences. It is without dispute that Danish veterinarians are now deeplyinvolved with parasite management in equine establishments. However, little is known about theimpact on levels of anthelmintic resistance and the risk of parasitic disease under thesecircumstances. In addition, the legislation makes huge demands on diagnosis and parasitesurveillance. No data have been published evaluating fecal egg count techniques and larval culturemethods as clinical diagnostic tools, and very little is known about potential correlations with actualworm burdens. This article provides a general review of anthelmintic strategies currently used inequine establishments and outlines the recommendations now given for parasite control.Preliminary experience with prescription-only restrictions in Denmark is presented and currentresearch needs to further evaluate this approach are discussed.

AB - Given the increasing levels of anthelmintic resistance in equine parasites, parasitologists nowrecommend traditional treatment approaches to be abandoned and replaced by more sustainablestrategies. It is of crucial importance to facilitate veterinary involvement to ensure that treatmentdecisions are based on parasitic knowledge. Despite recommendations given for the past twodecades, strategies based on the selective therapy principle have not yet been implemented on alarger scale in equine establishments. In contrast, treatment regimens appear to be derived fromrecommendations originally given in 1966. The province of Quebec in Canada, and an increasingnumber of European countries, have implemented prescription-only restrictions on anthelminticdrugs. Denmark introduced this legislation ten years ago, and some evidence has been generateddescribing potential consequences. It is without dispute that Danish veterinarians are now deeplyinvolved with parasite management in equine establishments. However, little is known about theimpact on levels of anthelmintic resistance and the risk of parasitic disease under thesecircumstances. In addition, the legislation makes huge demands on diagnosis and parasitesurveillance. No data have been published evaluating fecal egg count techniques and larval culturemethods as clinical diagnostic tools, and very little is known about potential correlations with actualworm burdens. This article provides a general review of anthelmintic strategies currently used inequine establishments and outlines the recommendations now given for parasite control.Preliminary experience with prescription-only restrictions in Denmark is presented and currentresearch needs to further evaluate this approach are discussed.

KW - Former Faculty of Life Sciences

U2 - 10.1186/1756-3305-2-S2-S7

DO - 10.1186/1756-3305-2-S2-S7

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 19778468

VL - 2

JO - Parasites & Vectors

JF - Parasites & Vectors

SN - 1756-3305

IS - (Suppl 2)

ER -