Variation among Merino sheep in susceptibilty to lice (Bovicola ovis) and association with susceptibility to trichostrongylid gastrointestinal parasites

The current status and outlook for insecticide, acaricide and anthelmintic resistances across the Australian ruminant livestock industries: assessing the threat these resistances pose to the livestock sector

The Australian ruminant livestock industries are faced with the need to control parasitic infectious diseases that can seriously impact the health of animals. However, increasing levels of resistance to insecticides, anthelmintics and acaricides are substantially reducing the ability to control some of these parasites. Here we review the current situation with regard to chemical resistances in parasites across the various sectors of the Australian ruminant livestock industries and assess the level of threat that these resistances pose to the sustainability of these sectors in the short to long terms. We also look at the extent to which testing for resistance occurs across the various industry sectors, and hence how well-informed these sectors are of the extent of chemical resistance. We examine on-farm management practices, breeding of parasite-resistant animals, and non-chemical therapeutics that may act as short to long term means to reduce the current reliance on chemicals for parasite control. Finally, we look at the balance between the prevalence and magnitude of current resistances and the availability and adoption rates of management, breeding and therapeutic alternatives in order to assess the parasite control outlook for the various industry sectors.

Genetic aspects of sheep parasitic diseases

There is evidence of genetically determined host resistance mechanisms for most of the sheep parasites evaluated. The mechanisms vary; from no or reduced establishment, early expulsion, to suppression of parasites resulting in reduced size and fecundity. There is a need to integrate breeding for parasite resistance with the genetic improvement of production traits in farm animals, aiming for optimum solutions for potentially conflicting responses. Sustainable parasite control must be based on Integrated Parasite Management utilising an interdisciplinary approach.

Population dynamics and production effects of sheep lice (Bovicola ovis Schrank) in extensively grazed flocks

An experiment was conducted to characterise population dynamics of lice and associated production loss in extensively grazed flocks infested at different times after shearing. Merino wethers were allocated to six groups of 31 sheep. In the first year (Y1), one sheep in each of two groups was infested with 2500 lice at 6 weeks after shearing (September), sheep in two groups were infested at 4 months (December) and two groups remained uninfested. In year 2 (Y2), infestations carried over from Y1, but a lousy sheep was added to each 6-week infestation mob. In year 3 (Y3), the infested mobs were treated and remained lice free, while lousy donor sheep were added to the two previously uninfested mobs. In Y1, lice appeared to die out in one 6-week-infestation group and were found on only two sheep before next shearing in the other. Lice persisted and spread in the two 4-month-infestation flocks, reaching mean counts (±s.e.) of 0.5 (±0.2) and 0.2 (±0.1) per part before shearing. In Y2 and Y3, lice persisted and increased in all infested flocks, reaching mean counts of 2.3 (±0.6), 8.5 (±1.5), 3.6 (±0.6) and 2.8 (±0.7) per part in Y2 and 1.0 (±0.2) and 1.2 (±0.4) per part in Y3. The count of 8.5 was in the flock with both a carry-over infestation and an infestor sheep. Exponential and logistic models were fitted to describe lice increase; differences in fleece derangement reflected louse numbers. Clean fleece weight was higher in flocks without lice in all years (0.12 kg/head in Y1; 0.22 kg/head in Y2 and Y3; P < 0.05). Classer-assigned colour scores (although not measured colour), cott score and line into which the wool was classed also differed significantly (P < 0.05) between infested and non-infested flocks and there was an indication that staple length was reduced in more heavily infested flocks. In spring-shorn flocks in environments with high solar radiation and no lice present at shearing, even if lice subsequently enter the mob, it appears unlikely that they will increase to levels where serious economic loss will be experienced before next shearing. The study also indicated that lice could persist in flocks at levels unlikely to be detected by most commercial wool producers for extended periods, possibly through one season, which may help to explain reports of new infestations with no apparent source.

Issues and advances in the integrated control of sheep lice

Ongoing pressure to minimise costs of production, growing markets for low residue and organic wool and meat, resistance to chemicals in louse populations, and the deregistration of diazinon for dipping and jetting have contributed to a move away from routine annual application of lousicides to more integrated approaches to controlling lice. Advances including improved methods for monitoring and detection of lice, an expanded range of louse control products and the availability of a web-accessible suite of decision support tools for wool growers (LiceBoss™) will aid this transition. Possibilities for the future include an on-farm detection test and non-chemical control methods. The design and extension of well-constructed resistance management programs to preserve the effectiveness of recently available new product groups should be a priority.

Ovine IgE and its role in immunological protection and disease

The importance of internal and external parasites in limiting productivity and compromising the welfare of sheep has provided the impetus for extensive research on ovine IgE with the objectives of better understanding protective immunological responses and developing novel methods of control; particularly vaccination. The molecular structures of ovine IgE and its high affinity receptor have been determined and the former information has assisted the development of monoclonal antibodies (mAb) to ovine IgE by 2 of 3 groups who have produced these reagents. The availability of these mAbs has enabled the description of IgE responses following infections with a wide variety of parasites in sheep and in an ovine model of atopic asthma. While IgE responses are consistently associated with parasitic diseases of sheep, it has not been proven that this antibody isotype is involved in protection. The foundation of present knowledge and reagents, together with new emerging technologies, should allow the role of IgE in parasitic diseases of sheep to be determined.

Resistance to insect growth regulator insecticides in populations of sheep lice as assessed by a moulting disruption assay

Low-volume, backline applications with the benzoylphenyl urea insecticides triflumuron and diflubenzuron represent in excess of 70% of treatments for the control of sheep lice, Bovicola ovis (Schrank) (Phthiraptera: Trichodectidae), in Australia. Reports of reduced effectiveness from 2003 and subsequent controlled treatment trials suggested the emergence of resistance to these compounds in B. ovis populations. A laboratory assay based on the measurement of moulting success in nymphs was developed and used to assess susceptibility to diflubenzuron and triflumuron in louse populations collected from sheep where a control failure had occurred. These tests confirmed the development of resistance to triflumuron and diflubenzuron in at least two instances, with estimated resistance ratios of 67-94X at LC(50).

Genetic resistance to growth of Lucilia cuprina larvae in Merino sheep

Cutaneous myiasis (fly strike), caused by Lucilia cuprina, is a major ectoparasitic infection of sheep. Previous research has identified contributions of body conformation, wool characteristics and resistance to bacterial dermatoses to resistance to fly strike. This paper investigates whether genetic variation occurs amongst sheep in growth of larvae on skin. Mixed sex Merino sheep in 27 half-sibling groups were challenged with freshly hatched Lucilia cuprina larvae, and survival and growth of larvae were measured after 50 h. Growth but not survival of larvae had moderate heritability (0.29 ± 0.22), comparable to that seen for resistance to nematode parasites in sheep. Phenotypic correlations between resistance to larval growth and wool traits, skin wheal response to intradermal injection of larval excretory secretory products and resistance to internal parasites were negligible; however, there was a significant negative phenotypic correlation with fleece rot score after exposure of sheep to simulated rain at a time independent to that of measurement of larval growth. Larval growth was negatively correlated with peripheral blood eosinophil numbers measured either before or after larval challenge. In addition, larval growth in vitro on serum collected from challenged sheep was moderately associated with larval growth in vivo. A search for quantitative trait loci (QTL) for larval survival and growth was conducted in data from 94 half-sibling progeny of a Merino × Romney sire backcrossed to Merino ewes. Potential QTL for larval growth were identified on chromosome 11 and for larval survival on chromosome 18, although phenotyping greater numbers of sheep and a higher marker density on these chromosomes is necessary to confirm the result. We conclude that this study has identified a novel level of resistance of Merino sheep to growth of L. cuprina larvae that may be mediated in part through actions of anti-larval factors in serum and eosinophils. Further studies are required to establish the impact of growth retardation on the severity of systemic responses of sheep to fly strike and on the biology of adult flies.

Heritability of resistance to infestation with the body louse, Bovicola ovis, in Romney sheep bred for differences in resistance or resilience to gastro-intestinal nematode parasites

The inheritance of resistance to louse infestation and the related allergic skin disease, cockle, was examined in Romney lambs. The lambs used in the study were the 2001- and 2004-born progeny of four experimental breeding lines ("Resistant", "Susceptible", "Resilient" and "Control") developed as part of a long-term study of the genetics of host resistance (maintenance of low faecal egg count (FEC) under nematode challenge) or resilience (maintenance of health and productivity under nematode challenge irrespective of FEC) to nematode parasites in sheep. Between 13 and 22 progeny (equally distributed between males and females, where possible) from each of five sires in each line were selected each year for this trial. All lambs (n=701) were examined for lice (Bovicola ovis) before artificial infestation; in 2001 the lambs were free of natural infestation, whilst in 2004 naturally acquired infestation was evident. In November 2001 and May 2002, approximately 60 B. ovis were transferred to each lamb, followed by monitoring at approximately 2-monthly intervals until August 2002. Similar procedures, but with fewer monitoring times, were repeated on the 2004 lambs. Overall, lambs in the Control line were significantly more susceptible to louse infestation and cockle compared with those in the other three lines (P<0.001). Least squares-means (SEM) of log-transformed louse score for the control, resistant, susceptible and resilient lines, respectively, were 2.178 (0.045), 1.499 (0.050), 1.618 (0.050) and 1.587 (0.044), and for cockle score were 1.36 (0.05), 0.76 (0.05), 0.95 (0.05) and 0.78 (0.05). From all progeny together, the heritability of log-transformed louse score was 0.22 (Standard Error (SE) 0.06) in autumn and 0.34 (SE 0.08) in winter, with a value of 0.44 (SE 0.09) when these data were combined. These estimates were similar to those obtained for resistance to gastro-intestinal nematodes in these breeding lines, using log-transformed FECs. Heritability estimates for cockle score in autumn, winter and when combined were 0.06 (SE 0.04), 0.45 (SE 0.09) and 0.40 (SE 0.09), respectively. The genetic correlations of mean log-transformed louse score with mean cockle score and levels of two different louse antigens in wool were, respectively, 0.97 (SE 0.04), 0.96 (SE 0.08) and 0.95 (SE 0.09). However, there was no significant genetic correlation between louse scores and FEC. These results suggest that selective breeding would be effective in reducing louse infestation and cockle in sheep, but that differences in louse burdens were not related to differences in nematode burdens as indicated by FECs.

Temporal relationship between infestation with lice (Bovicola ovis Schrank) and the development of pruritic behaviour and fleece derangement in sheep

Pruritic behaviour and deranged fleece are often used as indicators of sheep louse infestation but the exact relationship between infestation and the observation of signs of pruritus was unclear. Two studies were conducted to examine this association. In the first, 24 castrate Merino sheep were randomly assigned to six pens in groups of four and the sheep in three pens infested with 10 lice each on the right mid-side. Louse numbers were counted, fleece derangement scored and pruritic behaviour assessed periodically on each sheep until 38 weeks after infestation. In the second study a single moderately infested sheep was paddocked for 15 weeks with 32 uninfested sheep and louse numbers and fleece derangement monitored for 41 weeks. In the pen studies, differences between infested and non-infested sheep in fleece derangement and pruritic behaviour first became significant (p<0.05) at 8 and 14 weeks, respectively and at louse densities of 0.06 and 0.27 per 10 cm wool part. Some sheep showed definite signs of deranged fleece as early as 5 weeks after initial infestation. In the paddock studies, it took 37 weeks until lice were detected on all sheep in the flock. The correlation between louse numbers and fleece derangement score first became significant (r=0.44 and p<0.05) at 9 weeks after introduction of the lousy sheep, reached a maximum of r=0.79 (p<0.001) at 22 weeks when 84% of sheep had lice detected and the mean louse density was 0.29 per part, and then declined to r=0.12 (n.s.) at 41 weeks when all sheep were infested and the mean louse density was 3.04 per part. It is concluded that fleece derangement is a powerful early indicator of the presence of lice and that sheep may exhibit signs of pruritus well before lice can be readily found by direct inspection. Fleece derangement may be useful as a basis for establishing economic thresholds for the application of long wool treatments in developing louse infestations but appears to be a poor indicator of louse numbers once the infestation is advanced.