www.IndianJournals.com Members Copy, Not for Commercial Sale Downloaded From IP - 128.128.128.12 on dated 1-Mar-2017 Journal of Immunology and Immunopathology Vol. 18, No. 2, July-December, 2016: 100-104 DOI: 10.5958/0973-9149.2016.00016.2 100 IndianJournals.com A product of Diva Enterprises Pvt. Ltd. Mini-Review Gastrointestinal Nematodiasis in Small Ruminants and Anthelmintic Resistance: A Review Ruchi Sharma 1 and Subha Ganguly 2 * 1 Assistant Professor, Department of Veterinary Parasitology, 2 Associate Professor, Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Arawali Veterinary College (Affiliated with Rajasthan University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Bikaner), N.H.-52, Jaipur Road, V.P.O. Bajor, Sikar-332001, Rajasthan, India *Corresponding author email id: ganguly38@gmail.com ABSTRACT Sharma R and Ganguly S (2016). Gastrointestinal Nematodiasis in Small Ruminants and Anthelmintic Resistance: A Review. J. Immunol. Immunopathol. 18(2): 100-104. Out of various diseases affecting sheep, parasitic gastroenteritis caused by gastro-intestinal nematodes, mainly Haemonchus contortus, is very important for the sheep in India and is responsible for high mortality and morbidity (Yadav, 1997). The gastrointestinal nematodes of sheep include H. contortus, Telodorsagia circumcinta, Trichostrongylus axei, Nematodirus spp. and Cooperia spp. The proportions of each of these nematodes in sheep populations vary according to geographic location. H. contortus and T. circumcincta represent most of the parasite burdens seen in sheep, with H. contortus being present in highest numbers. Anthelmintic resistance is present in all of these parasites, but the prevalence is highest for H. contortus, making it the most economically important gastrointestinal nematodes of sheep (Fleming et al., 2006). Keywords: Animal health, Anthelmintic resistance, Gastrointestinal nematodes, Small ruminants, Livestock productivity INTRODUCTION Small ruminants are important source of income for rural communities whose livelihood is largely based on livestock production (Biffa et al., 2006). Sheep is an important livestock species in India. India is a rich source of diverse ovine germplasm with 74 million sheep which is 6.8% of the world’s sheep population (FAOSTAT, 2010). They contribute greatly to the agrarian economy especially where crop and/dairy farming are not economical. They play an important role in the livelihood of a large percentage of small and marginal farmers and landless labours engaged in sheep rearing. However, sheep production is hindered by many factors including animal health constraints, inadequate nutrition and poor husbandry system (Sissay et al., 2006). USE OF ANTHELMINTICS AGAINST GASTROINTESTINAL NEMATODIASIS In most cases, Haemonchus contortus was the first nematode to develop resistance against the different anthelmintics (Fleming et al., 2006). There is substantial evidence that when a parasite has developed resistance to one anthelmintic from a certain class, it will usually also be resistant to other products from the same class. There is also evidence that strategic treatments have contributed to resistance development, particularly at times when the free-living component of the parasite population has been small. The most efficient way to limit the increase of anthelmintic resistance remains the reduction of the selection pressure by drugs and optimal timing to maximise their efficacy (Silvestre et al., 2002).