PAKISTAN VETERINARY JOURNAL

Pak Vet J, 2026, 46(4) 731-745

One Health Perspectives on Anthelmintic Resistance: Mechanisms, Surveillance Gaps and Control Strategies

Shahbaz Ul Haq¹, Rai Bahadur Kharl², Muhammad Saqib², Hong-Bin Yan^3*, Abdulsalam A. M. Alkhaldi⁴, Ashraf G. Timsah^5,6, Li Li³, Javdat Latipov⁷, Warda Qamar⁸, Asif Ali Butt⁹, Wan-Zhong Jia³ and Mughees Aizaz Alvi^2,3*

¹Medical School, Shandong Xiehe University, Jinan 250109, Shandong, P.R. China; ²Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan; ³State Key Laboratory of Animal Disease Control and Prevention, College of Veterinary Medicine, Lanzhou University, Gansu Province Research Center for Basic Disciplines of Pathogen Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology and Key Laboratory of Ruminant Disease Prevention and Control (West), Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs, National Para-reference Laboratory for Animal Echinococcosis, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730046, P.R. China; ⁴Biology Department, College of Science, Jouf University, Sakaka 72341, Saudi Arabia; ⁵Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Baha University, Al Baha, Saudi Arabia; ⁶Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine Al-Azhar University, New Damietta City, Egypt; ⁷Department of Medicine, Termez University of Economics and Service, Termez, Uzbekistan. ⁸Independent Researcher, Faisalabad, Pakistan; ⁹Riphah International University, Faisalabad Campus, Faisalabad, Pakistan

*Corresponding authors: mugheesaizazalvi@gmail.com (MAA); yanhongbin@caas.cn (HBY)

Abstract

Anthelmintic resistance (AR) is one of the most rapidly increasing issues in livestock and companion animals, with the threat to animal health, livestock and companion farm productivity, and sustainable parasite control. AR is no longer a purely pharmacogenetic issue, but a multifactorial process shaped by biological, ecological, and management forces. This review presents the existing knowledge on AR in veterinary parasitology with a specific focus on livestock and companion animal parasites. There are still limitations in diagnostics since the Fecal Egg Count Reduction Test is not sensitive for early-stage diagnosis. Quantitative and droplet digital PCR and targeted surveillance tools are some of the developments that are improving accuracy and facilitating more sustainable drug use. The combination of various control strategies and improved farm management practices can decrease the use of dewormers. In general, AR is a multifaceted veterinary and One Health problem and needs the coordination of stewardship, enhanced diagnostics, and diversified control strategies. Future progress will require bridging the gap between molecular parasitology, ecological management, and veterinary practice to develop a sustainable approach for protecting animal health and productivity.

To Cite This Article: Haq SU, Kharl RB, Saqib M, Yan HB, Alkhaldi AAM, Timsah AG, Li L, Latipov J, Qamar W, Butt AA, Jia WZ and Alvi MA, 2026. One health perspectives on anthelmintic resistance: mechanisms, surveillance gaps and control strategies. Pak Vet J, 46(4): 731-745. http://dx.doi.org/10.29261/pakvetj/2026.081

Abstract

ISSN 0253-8318 (Print)ISSN 2074-7764 (Online)

ISSN 0253-8318 (Print)
ISSN 2074-7764 (Online)