Evaluation of the anthelmintic efficacy of Albendazole, Levamisole and Ivermectin against gastrointestinal nematodes in tethered goats in Kole District, Uganda

Abstract

Gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) infections pose a significant threat to goat productivity and health, particularly in the Kole district, where veterinary practitioners report minimal efficacy of anthelmintic drugs in treating confirmed infections. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence, intensity of GIN infections, and the effectiveness of albendazole, levamisole, and ivermectin in tethered goats across selected sub-counties in Kole district. An experimental study was conducted with 90 tethered goats divided into four treatment groups (25-32 animals per group), given medication as per the drug manufacturer’s recommendation. The first group was given albendazole orally at a dosage of 5 mg/kg bodyweight, second group was given levamisole orally at a dosage of 7.5 mg/kg bodyweight, third group was given ivermectin subcutaneously at 0.2 mg/kg bodyweight and fourth group were the untreated controls. Pre-treatment (day 0) and post-treatment (day 14) fecal egg counts were conducted to assess drug efficacy using a fecal egg count reduction test (FECRT). The overall GIN prevalence was found to be 83.6%, with 44.9% of goats exhibiting low infection intensity (100-500 eggs per gram). Fecal flotation tests revealed the following prevalence of nematode eggs: strongyles (86%), Strongyloides spp. (31%), Trichuris spp. (2.5%), and Capillaria spp. (1%). Coprocultures identified Haemonchus spp., Cooperia spp., Oesophagostomum spp., Nematodirus spp., and Strongyloides spp. in pre-treatment samples, while only Haemonchus spp. was detected post-treatment in all drug groups. Fecal egg count reduction scores for ivermectin, levamisole, and albendazole were 86%, 73%, and 66% respectively, demonstrating gastrointestinal intestinal nematode resistance to the study drugs. This study underscores the need for targeted treatment strategies to enhance the efficacy of anthelmintics in goat populations.