Authors

BE Karani³; J McIntyre³; F Kenyon¹; R Laing³; SR Doyle²; JA Cotton³;  ¹ Moredun Research Institute, UK;  ² Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, UK;  ³ School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, UK

Discussion

Parasitic worms are widespread pathogens that cause enormous negative impacts on the health of humans and animals. These worms are largely controlled by use of anthelminthic drugs such as ivermectin. The large-scale use of anthelmintics in livestock especially sheep has led to worm populations developing resistance. Despite the spread of anthelmintic resistance (AR), there’s limited knowledge on the genetic basis of the resistance to some drug classes. This project aims to use modern genomic approaches to study the evolutionary dynamics of AR genes by comparing different approaches to treatment with ivermectin, a major anthelminthic drug in livestock. This is key in identifying the genetic markers driving AR in Teladorsagia circumcincta, a common parasitic worm in the UK sheep; and how different ivermectin treatment approaches impact the rate at which AR evolves.