Regain Genetic Parasite Resistance

What is the first line of defense when parasites attack livestock? A drug (chemical) is immediately purchased and applied to the animal. Does it work? Yes, it usually does. For how long? Days, weeks, months, rarely more than one year and then the predators return. Or does the chemical become ineffective after several years of use? What now? A newly developed chemical and the same process again takes place. Parasites have and will, continue to develop resistance to man made chemicals. How do we end this? In 2002 I found notice of a research program at the USDA Agricultural Research Center (ARC) at Beltsville, Maryland to use the host immune system of cattle to reduce GI nematodes (stomach worms). The following are passages from a paper on the ARC site listing research results. ―Early results demonstrated the bovine immune system effective in reducing the number of parasites established in the host. One exception was Ostertagia ostertagi, but even with this species, the immune system reduced transmission by reducing egg count. ―These studies indicate that it is feasible to control nematode infections by using the host immune system. Recently we have proven that host