Life Stage-Specific Burdens and Impacts of Gastrointestinal Nematodes in Beef Cattle in the United States: A Review of Diagnostics, Impacts on Productivity, and Immune Response

Gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs) remain a significant challenge to productivity and sustainability in beef cattle systems in the United States, contributing to subclinical reductions in growth, reproductive performance, and overall herd health across production stages. Control programs have historically relied on routine anthelmintic use; however, increasing reports of anthelmintic resistance highlight the need for alternative management strategies. This narrative review synthesizes peer-reviewed literature identified through targeted searches of major scientific databases spanning approximately seven decades, with articles selected for relevance to GIN epidemiology, diagnostics, and control in beef cattle. Particular emphasis is placed on life stage-specific susceptibility, host immune development, and the role of diagnostic tools in guiding evidence-based interventions. The review further examines non-anthelmintic strategies such as grazing management, nutritional supplementation, selective breeding, and integrated parasite management practices adapted from small ruminant systems. Across studies, young and immunologically developing cattle experience the greatest productivity losses, while mature animals contribute disproportionately to pasture contamination, reinforcing the importance of targeted control measures. Overall, the literature supports a transition toward integrated, diagnostics-driven parasite control programs that sustain productivity and animal well-being while preserving long-term anthelmintic efficacy.