Anti-parasitic Drug Resistance in Veterinary Practice

Lack of clean water, inadequate sanitation, and insufficient infection prevention and control promote the spread of parasites. The discovery of antiparasitic drugs was considered a milestone in the veterinary and medical sciences, but their use has subsequently become limited due to the emergence of resistance. While plenty of attention has been given in human and animal health communities to the global threat of antimicrobial drug resistance, specific antiparasitic advice is less available.

This book provides an in-depth view of the issue for parasitologists, pharmacologists and veterinary scientists. Specifically discussing antiparasitic drug resistance mechanisms and factors responsible for the problem, it covers:

• The physiological basis of parasitism;
• Resistance across protozoa, helminths, insects, mites and ticks;
• Molecular and phenotypic diagnostic methods;
• Practical strategies for mitigating resistance development.

While it is clear that the veterinary field urgently requires the development of new antiparasitic drugs, of equal or even increased importance is the evaluation of alternative therapies and formulation of stringent policies to ensure appropriate drug use in veterinary practice. Highlighting the importance and development of resistance across different parasite groups, this book covers factors responsible for resistance development and advises strategies for effective stewardship and resistance mitigation.

Hafiz Muhammad Rizwan is an accomplished researcher and academician in the field of Parasitology. He has made significant contributions to the understanding and management of parasitic diseases through his research and publications. Dr. Rizwan's expertise lies in the areas of molecular parasitology, host-parasite interactions, omics-based approaches for diagnosing and managing parasitic diseases, and parasitic control strategies. Dr. Rizwan is currently affiliated with the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS), Narowal Campus, Pakistan, where he serves as an Assistant Professor of Parasitology in the Department of Pathobiology. He is actively involved in teaching and mentoring students, sharing his knowledge and passion for the subject. With a strong academic background, Dr. Rizwan holds a Ph.D. in Parasitology. He has published numerous research articles in reputable journals, contributing to the scientific literature on parasitic infections. Dr. Rizwan's dedication and commitment to his field have earned him recognition and respect from his peers. He continues to make valuable contributions to the field of parasitology through his research, teaching, and academic endeavors.

Dr. Muhammad Ahsan Naeem, born in Faisalabad, Pakistan in 1988, excelled academically, earning a gold medal in DVM from the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, in 2012. He began his teaching career at UAF in 2012 and later earned an M.Phil. Pharmacology in 2015. Dr. Ahsan worked in Dubai as Veterinary Doctor of diagnostics before receiving the Chinese Government Scholarship for his Ph.D. at Huazhong Agricultural University, focusing on Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Joining the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan (Narowal Campus) after Ph.D., he actively contributes to teaching and research. His achievements include international publications, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Professional Development Award 2022, II OIC youth congress award, Kazan, Russia, 2023, and an ISPPD-13 meeting early career research award in 2024.

Meritorious Prof. Dr. Muhammad Younus is a distinguished academician currently serving as the Vice Chancellor of the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan. He holds a Post Doctorate from the University of Minnesota, USA, and a Doctorate in Pathology and Public Health from the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan. Dr. Younus has garnered numerous accolades throughout his illustrious career, including at least six academic merit scholarships and the prestigious Presidential Civil Award Tamgha-e-Imtiaz in 2023 by the Government of Pakistan. His exceptional leadership and academic contributions have been recognized internationally, with the Distinguished Leadership Award bestowed upon him by the President of the University of Minnesota, USA, in 2016. He has also received the Best University Teacher Award in 2014 from the Higher Education Commission (HEC) in Islamabad, and multiple Excellence Awards from the Pakistan Veterinary Medical Council (PVMC) and the Pakistan Veterinary Medical Association (PVMA). He has been instrumental in the establishment and development of new institutions such as CVAS Jhang and CVAS Narowal, for which he has received appreciation letters from esteemed organizations including the Vice Chancellor of UVAS, Lahore, and the Planning and Development Department, Government of Punjab. Dr. Younus is a prolific author with 14 books, 32 book chapters, and more than 270 research publications to his name. He has also successfully secured and executed 16 projects from various national and international funding agencies, totaling more than RS: 8,000.00 million. Additionally, he has mentored and supervised 60 M.Phil. and 18 Ph.D. scholars, contributing significantly to the academic and research landscape in veterinary and animal sciences.

Prof. Dr. Muhammad Sohail Sajid received his early education from the Kamalia and Khanewal and Higher Secondary education from Govt. Emerson College, Multan, Punjab, Pakistan. He secured silver medal in his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree from the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad (UAF), Pakistan in 2002. Since then, he started his professional career as Lecturer in the Department of Parasitology, UAF while continuing in M.Sc. (Hons.) and Ph.D. in Parasitology. He served as Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Chairman, and Member, Climate Change Chair of the US-Pakistan Center for Advanced Studies in Agriculture and Food Security established through the USAID in the UAF, Pakistan and finally as Professor tenured. His thematic research area is molecular epidemiology and control of arthropods and arthropod-borne diseases of one health significance. His competitive successes include: Ph.D. fellowship sponsored by the Higher Education Commission (HEC), Islamabad, Pakistan, HEC-funded post-doc. fellowship from the University of Southern Mississippi (USM), Hattiesburg, MS, USA, USAID-funded project through the HEC Pak-US S&T Cooperation Program (Phase IV), and the Fulbright Post-Doc. fellowship at the UC Davis, USA. So far, he has secured 10 grants as PI/ Co-PI and mentored >50 M.Phil. and 12 Ph.D. graduate students as Chairman/co-supervisor/ member. The Ministry of Science and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan has awarded him competitive Research Productivity Awards consecutively for the 6 years (2010 to 2015). So far, he has published 90 research papers in ISI indexed journals having IF of 100, presented at various national and international conferences, one textbook, two chapters in an international book & 150 abstracts in proceedings. He is serving as 'Section Editor' of the UAF's Official Journal "PJAS" (IF-0.785) from more than a decade and has edited a book published by the CABI, Oxfordshire, UK. He is the co-author of the first guidelines of the 'Institutional Animal Care and Use' at the UAF. His hard work and commitment enabled him to achieve the top ranked academic position of the Tenured Professor of Parasitology in the Department of Parasitology, UAF, Pakistan.

Dr. Xi Chen is working as Associate Professor at College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, P.R. China. He completed his Post-Doctorate from Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China in 2019 and Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China in 2015. In 2013, he won Chinese Government Scholarship for exchanging student and got the training for Ph.D at College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, USA. During his doctoral study, he worked on the pathogenicity of CNS tuberculosis. And now he focuses on the interaction of host and Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the role of mycobacterial secretory proteins, and the immune escape of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. He has so far secured (completed/ ongoing) 8 research grants from National Natural Science Foundation of China as Principal investigator / Co-Principal investigator. He is the reviewer of 6 journal. He has several publications in peer reviewed SCI journals, 9 patents and 1 chapter in the book of Biosafety of veterinary medicine, and 1 national standard.