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The population of South American camelids (SAC) has been steadily growing in Europe, where they are confronted with the regional endoparasite population of ruminants. As there are no anthelmintic drugs registered for use against nematode infections in SACs, anthelmintics (AH) available for ruminants or horses are usually applied. Reports indicating potential failures in administered AH are increasing. However, the generally low egg counts in SACs complicate the application of resistance tests in the field. The present study reports a follow-up study on SAC farms where anthelmintic resistance (AR) was suspected. The aims were (i) to repeat faecal egg count reduction tests (FECRTs) on potentially affected farms identified in a previous study with larger sample sizes, (ii) to verify suspected AR of Haemonchus contortus against benzimidazoles (BZ) by performing a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis using digital polymerase chain reaction (dPCR), and (iii) to apply the mini-FLOTAC technique for more reliable results at low egg counts in line with current recommendations. Seven farms (9-46 animals each) were examined by coproscopy, larval differentiation and SNP analysis. A FECRT was performed on six of these farms with moxidectin (three farms), monepantel (two farms) and ivermectin (one farm). The FEC was calculated according to the current World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology (WAAVP) guidelines with the clinical protocol (a newly introduced variant of FECRT which can be used for smaller sample sizes and lower egg counts on the cost of sensitivity) and an expected efficacy of 99%. A high level (> 90%) of BZ-resistance-associated SNPs on codon 200 of H. contortus was observed on all farms. With the FECRT, resistance was demonstrated for ivermectin (74% FECR), while it remained inconclusive for one farm for moxidectin treatment. Sustained efficacy was demonstrated for the remaining treatments. This study showed an advanced level of BZ resistance in H. contortus of SACs and the development of AR against macrocyclic lactones on some farms. Thus, constant monitoring of AH treatment and sustainable worm control methods both need to be applied., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

A Hypoderma larva was removed from a painful swelling in the lumbar region of a 17-month-old male alpaca kept on a farm in the Brandenburg district, eastern Germany. Morphological analysis and sequencing of the 18S rRNA gene demonstrated it was a second instar larvae of Hypoderma diana. The main host of H. diana is the roe deer (Capreolus capreolus). This is the first description of hypodermosis caused by H. diana in a camelid species.

Objective: The aim of this study was to obtain an overview of management practices, diagnostics, prophylaxis and therapy of endoparasite infections in alpaca herds and of the animal owners perception of this topic, and to combine these data with management data to develop recommendations for prevention and prophylaxis of endoparasitoses in New World camelids., Material and Methods: A questionnaire collected information concerning animal husbandry, feeding and care as well as on prevalence, prophylaxis and therapy of endoparasitoses. The questionnaire was sent to 349 alpaca farms in Germany and 67 in Austria, and was completed and returned by 81 farms, 65 (18.6 %) from Germany and 16 (23.9 %) from Austria., Results: Differences in regional parasite distribution were not observed. Coccidia and gastrointestinal strongyles were the most frequent endoparasites detected by faecal examination. In total, 91.0 % of the farms submitted samples for coproscopy; however the frequency of examinations varied very widely. The subjective assessment of the pasture showed a relatively low association to endoparasite infections. Inefficacy of antiparasitic drugs was suspected by the owners in 17.2 % and 12.5 % of the herds in Germany and Austria, respectively. Macrocyclic lactones were the most commonly used drugs (80.0 % of the herds), but benzimidazoles and monepantel were also widely used. Antiparasitic drugs were regularly rotated by 61.0 % of the owners. Independent of the pasture area available per animal, the risk of lethal cases because of endoparasite infection (primarily due to Haemonchus contortus ) was significantly higher in larger herds (≥ 50 animals) compared to smaller farms (≤ 10 animals)., Conclusion: A major conclusion drawn from the questionnaire is that faecal examination is definitely advisable before any anthelmintic treatment to monitor the current parasite infection status in the herd and to avoid unnecessary or ineffective treatments or drug rotations. This also facilitates the application of selective, specific anthelmintic treatment, a concept which is currently applied only by 29.0 % of the German farms and 35.7 % of the Austrian farms., Competing Interests: Die Autoren bestätigen, dass kein Interessenkonflikt besteht., (Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

Sera of an experimentally Neospora caninum infected llama and a non-infected control llama were used to establish an immunoblot, an ELISA and an IFAT to detect antibodies against N. caninum tachyzoites. Subsequently, serum samples collected from a total of 871 South American Camelids (SAC: Lama glama, Lama pacos, Lama vicugna) of two farms in Peru and from 32 SAC of a farm in central Germany were examined for antibodies against N. caninum and Toxoplasma gondii. Based on the recognition of specific bands in the immunoblot, sera of SAC from Peru were differentiated into N. caninum-positive (n = 18) and T. gondii-positive (n = 30) samples and into samples negative or inconclusive for both parasites. Using the immunoblot results as the reference, a modified version of the p38-ELISA and the IFAT were evaluated for detecting N. caninum antibodies in SAC sera. Applying a cut-off as determined by two graph-receiver operating characteristic analysis both, the ELISA and the IFAT, exhibited a sensitivity and specificity of about 95% in the SAC sera from Peru. Serological testing confirmed that SAC may become infected with N. caninum under field conditions in Peru. In addition to alpacas and llamas also 114 wild living vicunas had been examined for antibodies against N. caninum. However, only the alpacas and llamas but no vicunas were found N. caninum-positive. In contrast, T. gondii-seropositive animals were detected in all three SAC species. The lack of N. caninum-seropositive vicunas indicates that in the study area in Peru wild canids might not serve as definitive hosts of N. caninum while for T. gondii a life cycle including wild felids is likely. On the German farm no N. caninum- but only T. gondii-seropositive SAC (n = 14) were detected. The seroprevalence of T. gondii infection was significantly higher in adult SAC (alpacas in Peru, llamas in Germany) than in crias (i.e. < 12 months old foals) indicating that the predominant route of infection is post natal. Since the present study was restricted to a few farms, the seroprevalences determined are not representative. However, our results confirm natural infections with N. caninum and T. gondii in SAC. Whether these infections are linked to any disease, e.g. reproductive losses, has to be clarified in further studies.