Anthelmintic efficacy of Albendazole, Levamisole and Ivermectin against gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) infections in goats on natural pastures in Gomba District, Uganda

Efficacy of albendazole (ABZ), levamisole (LVM) and ivermectin (IVM) against gastrointestinal nematodes  (GIN) was evaluated in commercial goat farms in Gomba District, Uganda. On the farms, goats were  randomly assigned to four groups (18-30 goats each). The first group served as the untreated control, the  second was treated with ABZ (5 mg kg -1 BW), the third with LVM (7.5 mg kg-1 BW) and the fourth with IVM  (0.2 mg kg-1 BW) at doses recommended by respective drug manufacturers. Fecal egg counts, expressed as  eggs per gram and larval cultures were done on day zero before treatment and every 7 days after treatment.  Anthelmintic efficacy was determined by the Fecal Egg Count Reduction (FECR) test. The observed FECR were 77.3%, 85% and 83%, for ABZ, LVM and IVM, respectively. Though FECR in all treated animals were  significantly (P<0.05) lower than controls, there was no FECR of 95% or more. Coprocultures showed larvae of haemonchus species in albendazole treated goats. Continued shading (FECR <95%) of fecal eggs in all treated goats is indicative of anthelmintic resistance in the goat farming sector in Uganda. Further studies are needed to clarify the state of efficacy of commonly used anthelmintics in the different farming systems in Uganda. Key words: Anthelmintic resistance, fecal egg count reduction (FECR), goat farms, Uganda