COST Action blog: advancing research into parasitic worms
Blogs are written by COST Actions.
Parasitic worms (helminths) are among the most significant pathogens of grazing livestock worldwide. Prevention and treatment is based on the use of anthelmintics, but intensive reliance on these drugs has led to worms becoming resistant and thus regular treatment failures. Today, anthelmintic resistance (AR) is a global problem and solutions are urgently required.
Coordination of research to combat anthelmintic resistance in ruminants
COMBAR (CA16230) is a COST Action (23 June 2017- 18 March 2022) that aimed to advance research on the prevention of anthelmintic resistance in helminth parasites of ruminants in Europe and disseminate current knowledge among all relevant stakeholders. COMBAR focuses on integrated approaches to reduce the reliance on anthelmintics as the only option for parasite control. Thus researchers in the fields of diagnostics, targeted (selective) treatment (TT/TST) approaches, vaccines, anti-parasitic forages and decision support were brought together to develop more holistic and complementary control approaches. A particular focus was to start using economic and sociologic methodologies, novel to the field of parasitology to understand economic aspects and barriers to uptake of novel approaches by farmers. Over 200 scientists from 39 countries participated in the activities.
Reaching out to a wider community
The COST Action was particularly useful to reach out to the wider stakeholder community at European level including the veterinary and farming organisations, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), the animal medicines industry as well as government agencies that regulate medicines authorisation. This created a common sense of urgency to address the problem. Recommendations were developed to decision makers on the actions and future research that is needed to curb the spread of AR. A collaboration with the Livestock Helminth Research Alliance (LiHRA) and the STAR-IDAZ International Research Consortium on Animal Health allowed to develop research road maps and the key priority research needs and to communicate these to funders of animal health research. Dealing with the COVID pandemic, limiting nearly all physical meetings and events was a challenge, but also offered new opportunities. Digital dissemination materials were developed and online activities allowed to reach a wider audience than usual. Our digital WG meetings were well attended and we placed a considerable effort in developing educational materials such as a an animated video on sustainable worm control, now almost viewed 500 times or a visual guide to targeted selective treatment in sheep and goats. The COMBAR Webinar for Vet series, attracted approximately 200 participants for each of the three webinars.
Advancing diagnostics
One of the major achievements in COMBAR was the harmonisation of diagnostic protocols to monitor AR in the field. This supports researchers in conducting surveys in a similar way, compare results and thus grow the knowledge of AR status across Europe. Moreover, knowledge was shared on in vitro and DNA-based tests for AR. While a lot of improvement still need to happen, we brought these techniques a little step further to routine application. Further, a sociologic study showed that for the promotion of diagnostic approaches in Europe, different communication strategies may be required in countries, making use of mixture of targeted and specfic messages, involvement of innovator and early adaptor farmers and nudging approaches.
Beyond COMBAR
Overall, our Action showed that combatting AR in ruminants is feasible, but it requires the creation of a basket of options that replaces the current heavy reliance on anthelmintics as the almost only weapon against parasitic worm infections. These basket of options need to include novel, molecular diagnostics for AR, living databases with up to date information on the epidemiological information and current status of AR, decision support systems for targeted and selective use of anthelmintics and complementary control based on vaccines, bioactive forages and fungi. The road to have all of these options ready and available for routine application is still long. Therefore, we hope that COMBAR may evolve from a science coordination network into (i) a big research initiative to delevop this basket as a real asset, supported by (ii) a transnational, multi-actor initiative that develops indicators of infection and sustainable control, sets targets and promotes good practices to make best use of the control options that are available today. If both researchers, animal medicines industry, veterinarians, advisors and farmers contribute within their merits and responsibility, supported through an international funding mechanism, AR can become a problem of the past.
Authors:
Johannes Charlier, Kreavet, Belgium – Chair
Martin Kašný, Masaryk University, Czech Republic – Communication manager
Smaragda Sotiraki, HAO Demeter, Greece – Vice-Chair
Contact and further information:
Twitter : @combarcost
Facebook : COMBAR
Youtube : COST Action COMBAR