02527nas a2200253   4500000000100000000000100001008004100002260007000043653001000113653003100123653003300154100001600187700001700203700002300220700002300243700001800266700001600284245010000300250000800400300001200408490000800420520183100428022001402259       2015                            d  c07/2015bSchlütersche Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KGaHannover10asheep10aGastrointestinal nematodes10aalternative parasite control1 aM Šimpraga1 aI Ljubičić1 aJ Pejaković Hlede1 aA Shek Vugrovečki1 aA Marinculić1 aS Tkalčić00aAlternative approaches for the control of gastrointestinal nematodes in sheep farming: a review  a7/8  a257-2700 v1283 aGastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) are a serious health problem and represent the most significant constraint in sheep grazing operations. Problems tend to be worse in organic sheep farming systems, as a consequence of a less restricted access of animals to outdoor environment with a higher exposure to infective larvae. In domestic animals, GIN are effectively controlled by an aggressive prophylactic administration of commercially available anthelmintics. As a consequence to a common overdose and misuse of readily available antiparasitic treatments, there is an inevitable development of populations of GIN resistant to all major classes of anthelmintics. Also, the control of GIN that is based entirely on the anthelmintic use, threatens sustainability of the sheep farming worldwide. The combination of the optimized use of anthelmintic drugs and alternative approaches seem to be a reasonable choice in sustainable parasitic control programs that offer a substantial reduction of anthelmintic treatments and conservation of anthelmintic efficacy. In that aspect, a “targeted selective treatment (TST)” directed towards animals clinically diagnosed with GIN, seems to be an effective approach to leave some parasite populations unexposed to anthelmintics (refugia) and to reduce development of anthelmintic resistance. Also, many current research efforts aim to find and validate sustainable non-chemotherapeutic approaches to GIN control, including changes in grazing management, optimized nutrition, dietary supplementation, consumption of plants with anthelmintic properties, biological control by nematophagous fungi, copper oxide wire particles (COWP), and homeopathic treatments. This manuscript outlines (outlines) and discusses relevant alternative approaches for GIN control in modern sheep farming systems.  a0005-9366