Reduced efficacy of macrocyclic lactone treatments in controlling gastrointestinal nematode infections of weaner dairy calves in subtropical eastern Australia

Faecal Egg Count Reduction Tests (FECRTs) for macrocyclic lactone (ML) and levamisole (LEV) drenches were conducted on two dairy farms in the subtropical, summer rainfall region of eastern Australia to determine if anthelmintic failure contributed to severe gastrointestinal nematode infections observed in weaner calves.Subtropical Cooperia spp. were the dominant nematodes on both farms although significant numbers of Haemonchus placei were also present on Farm 2.On Farm 1, moxidectin pour-on (MXD) drenched at 0.5 mg kg−1 liveweight (LW) reduced the overall Cooperia burden by 82% (95% confidence limits, 37–95%) at day 7 post-drench. As worm burdens increased rapidly in younger animals in the control group (n = 4), levamisole was used as a salvage drench and these calves withdrawn from the trial on animal welfare grounds after sample collection at day 7. Levamisole (LEV) dosed at 6.8 mg kg−1 LW reduced the worm burden in these calves by 100%, 7 days after drenching.On Farm 2, MXD given at 0.5 mg kg−1 LW reduced the faecal worm egg count of cooperioids at day 8 by 96% (71–99%), ivermectin oral (IVM) at 0.2 mg kg−1 LW by 1.6% (−224 to 70%) and LEV oral at 7.1 mg kg−1 LW by 100%. For H. placei the reductions were 98% (85–99.7%) for MXD, 0.7% (−226 to 70%) for IVM and 100% for LEV.This is the first report in Australia of the failure of macrocyclic lactone treatments to control subtropical Cooperia spp. and suspected failure to control H. placei in cattle.