Contents : 1. Nematode parasites - The nematodes. - The important nematode genera and species parasitising ruminant livestock. - Abomasal genera. - Small intestinal genera. - Large intestinal genera. - Nematode evolution. - The transition to parasitism. - Nematode biology. - Nematode genetics. - Nematode physiology. - The dauer larva. - Anhydrobiosis. - The nematode life cycle. - Niches occupied by parasitic nematodes within the vertebrate host. - The lifespan of parasitic nematodes. 2. Pathophysiology of nematode infections. - Are parasites always harmful? - Defining 'harm'. - The abomasum. - The small intestine. - The large intestine. - The impact of parasites on overall gut function. - Effects beyond the gut. 3. Epidemiology of gastrointestinal nematodes in grazing ruminants. - Ecology of GINs - pasture. - Egg to L3 development. - Effect of host. - Survival of L3. - Translation of infective larvae. - Grazing behaviour and the avoidance of parasites. - Patterns of infection. - Overdispersion of parasites. - Epidemiology of 'parasitism'. - An increase in the infective mass. - Alteration in the susceptibility of stock. - Arrested development and hypobiosis. - Introduction of susceptible stock onto an infected area. - Insufficient age-related immunity. - The introduction of infected stock to a clean environment. - Epidemiology of cattle parasites. - Population biology in the parasitic phase. - Sheep parasites. - Cattle parasites. 4. The principles of gastrointestinal nematode control. - Control of parasites with anthelmintic drenches. - Drench programmes. - Strategic drenching programmes. - Principles of worm control in cattle. - Control of GIN by grazing management. - Alternate/mixed grazing with different host species or stock classes. - Resistance to treatment. 5. Anthelmintics. - What are anthelmintics? - How effective does an anthelmintic have to be? - Which species does an anthelmintic against GIN need to remove? - Description, efficacy, profile and mode of action of anthelmintic families. - Combination of anthelmintic treatments. - Modifying the delivery of anthelmintics. - Parenteral administration. - Controlled release of anthelmintics. - Injectable formulations. 6. Anthelmintic resistance. - Evolution of anthelmintic resistance. - Worldwide occurrence of anthelmintic resistance. - Resistance to one or more active families by one or more species. - Impact of resistance on productivity. - Mechanisms of resistance. - Inheritance of resistance. - Detection of resistance. 7. Drenching and resistance. - Frequency of treatment. - Under-dosing. - Persistent anthelmintics. - Why use persistent drenches? - The provision of safe pasture and resistance. - Persistence and efficacy. - Therapeutic efficacy and resistance - 'head selection'. - Prophylactic efficacy and resistance - 'tail selection'. - Heads or tails? - Persistent activity, immunity and resistance. - Persistent activity, density dependence and resistance. - Drench rotation. - Controlling resistance by drench rotation. - Drench rotation within seasons. - Modelling drench rotation. - Combination anthelmintics. - Removing resistant worm burdens. - Efficacy of single actives vs. combinations. - The odds are against multiple mutations. - Resistance is already present to one or more constituent active. 8. Worm control and resistance management. - What is refugia? - Why do we need refugia? - How to produce and utilise refugia. - Importation of resistant parasites. - A twin approach to worm control and resistance management - utilising refugia and combination drenches. 9. 'Non-chemical' control options. - Anthelmintic plants. - Plant material. - Plant extracts. - PSM as anthelmintics. - Forage legumes. - Practical applicability on-farm. - Other anthelmintic plants. - Micro-predacious fungi. - Homoeopathy. 10. Nutrition and parasitism. - Metabolic cost of parasitism. - Metabolic cost of infection. - Metabolic costs of immunity. - Parasites and nutrition: a nutrient utilisation framework. - Supplementation for increased resilience to parasites. - Supplementation for increased resistance to parasites. - Reproducing animals. - Undernutrition and parasitism. - Micronutrients and parasitism. - Improving nutrient availability. - Forage plants and parasitism. - Supplementation and immunity: increasing or enabling? 11. Animal genetics and parasitism. - Inter-species variability. - Inter-breed variability. - Intra-breed variability. - Resistance vs. productivity. - Resilience. - Pasture contamination, resistance and resilience. - Markers for resistance and resilience. - Phenotypic markers. - Genotypic markers. - Genetics, worm control and resistance management. 12. The immune response to parasites. - Evolution of the host-parasite relationship. - Immunity and GIN population dynamics. - The immune phenotype. - Immunological unresponsiveness. - Components of host responses to GI parasites. - Adaptive immune responses to GINs. - The anti-GIN immune response in cattle to O. ostertagi. - Impact of immunity on parasites. - Immunopathology. - Periparturient rise. - Utilising immune responses to control GIN. - Natural antigens. - Hidden antigens. - What next for immunoparasitology research?