Has the optimum time for faecal nematode egg count reduction testing in sheep in New Zealand changed?

Abstract

AIM: To determine what, if any, changes have taken place in the optimum time, for undertaking faecal egg count reduction tests (FECRT) in sheep in New Zealand.

METHODS: A comparison was made between the numbers and types of nematode genera adequately represented for testing purposes (faecal nematode egg count (FEC) of >50 epg) in initial FECRT case submissions to a veterinary laboratory in New Zealand, during two 4-year periods, in 1992–1995 and 2006–2009.

RESULTS: Although there were some minor differences between them, the seasonal patterns of occurrence remained basically the same for all parasite genera in both datasets, with their individual peak periods of representation occurring during February to May in all instances. Not surprisingly, this period of maximum seasonal occurrence for each parasite genus also coincided with those months of the year when the greatest numbers of worm genera were adequately represented for faecal nematode egg count reduction (FECR) testing.

CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate that the optimum time for conducting FECRT in sheep in New Zealand continues to be during the late summer-autumn months of February to May. However, they also reaffirmed that even during this optimal period there are still likely to be many occasions when relatively few nematode genera may be sufficiently well represented for satisfactory FECR testing. Accordingly, veterinary practitioners ought to be aware that, in order to obtain a complete picture of the resistance status of all worm genera on a particular property, such testing may need to be carried out on more than one occasion.     

Field studies investigating anthelmintic resistance in young cattle on five farms in New Zealand

AIM: To investigate the efficacy of pour-on anthelmintics against field strains of parasitic nematodes in young cattle on five farms in New Zealand.

METHODS: Faecal nematode egg count (FEC) reduction (FECR) tests were carried out on five calf-rearing farms using pour-on formulations of levamisole, ivermectin, eprinomectin, and the simultaneous administration of levamisole and ivermec- tin. Faecal samples were collected per rectum before treatment and about 7, 14, 21 and 28 days after treatment, for FEC and faecal nematode larval culture.

RESULTS: Resistance (i.e. <95% reduction in FEC) of Cooperia oncophora to ivermectin and eprinomectin was identified on all five farms. There was limited evidence of possible emerging resistance in Ostertagia spp to ivermectin but not eprinomectin, in short-tailed larvae of Cooperia spp to ivermectin and eprinomec- tin, and in Trichostrongylus spp to ivermectin, eprinomectin and levamisole used separately. Levamisole was effective against C. oncophora, but had variable efficacy against Ostertagia spp in the calves in this study. Simultaneous treatment with levamisole and ivermectin pour-on formulations were effective against all genera on all farms.

CONCLUSIONS: To effectively manage roundworm parasites in their calves farmers need to be aware of the resistance status of the parasites on their farms. Levamisole is likely to be an effective anthelmintic on most farms at times of the year when the impact of Ostertagia spp is not high. Simultaneous administration of levamisole and ivermectin pour-on anthelmintics to cattle is likely to control both ML-resistant C. oncophora and stages of Ostertagia spp that are not controlled by levamisole alone.     

黄蝉花素抑制斜纹夜蛾生长发育作用

室内测定了黄蝉花素对斜纹夜蛾幼虫的抑制生长发育活性。结果表明,黄蝉花素对斜纹夜蛾幼虫的抑制生长发育活性与其处理浓度具有一定的相关性。与对照相比,处理组食物消耗量减少,幼虫生长发育被抑制,发育历期延长。处理组幼虫在蛹期不能正常化蛹而形成畸形蛹,羽化后的成虫表现为形态畸形。在预蛹期和蛹期由于不能正常蜕皮导致死亡率较高。研究显示黄蝉花素作为一类新型的昆虫生长发育控制剂或害虫田间种群管理的先导化合物值得进一步研究。     

密度对甜菜夜蛾幼虫色型分化的影响

为明确田间甜菜夜蛾Spodoptera exigua幼虫产生绿色型和黑化型的色型分化原因,在田间系统调查黑化型幼虫所占比例及其与虫口密度的关系,在室内测定不同饲养密度对甜菜夜蛾幼虫色型分化的影响和色型分化敏感龄期,以及视觉、嗅觉和触觉对幼虫色型分化的影响。结果表明,田间甜菜夜蛾1~3龄幼虫均为绿色型,4~5龄幼虫同时存在绿色型和黑化型;在甘蓝上,4龄幼虫中黑化型个体所占比例为21.14%,5龄幼虫中黑色型个体所占比例为28.53%,在辣椒上,4龄幼虫中黑化型个体所占比例为20.54%,5龄幼虫中黑色型个体所占比例为33.88%。随着百株虫量的增加,甘蓝和辣椒上黑化型幼虫所占比例呈现升高趋势。室内研究发现,随着甜菜夜蛾幼虫饲养密度的增加,黑化型幼虫占比显著升高,当饲养密度达到5头/盒时趋于稳定,体色等级指数为3.47; 3龄是甜菜夜蛾幼虫色型分化的敏感龄期;视觉和嗅觉刺激对甜菜夜蛾幼虫黑化无显著影响,而触觉刺激显著促进幼虫黑化,甘蓝叶片碎片和白色聚酯纤维的摩擦处理导致幼虫体色等级指数分别显著升高68.59%和71.79%,表明触觉刺激信号对甜菜夜蛾的密度依赖性黑化有显著促进作用。     

棉钤虫某些生物学特性与滞育诱导关系的研究

利用人工诱那导滞育的方法,研究了棉铃虫幼虫历期及性别与蛹滞育率的关系。结果表明,棉铃虫三龄后幼虫历期越长蛹滞育率越高,而雌、雄蛹间滞育率无显著差异。     

高温对粘虫未成熟期生长发育的影响

本文报道了粘虫卵、幼虫和蛹在２４℃以上４种高温中生长发育的情况。结果表明,卵在相对湿度８０％左右,温度为２４－３３℃范围内均能顺利孵化,孵化率均在８７％以上,而３５℃中卵不能孵化,幼虫和蛹死亡率随着温度的升高而增加,３５℃时所有幼虫均在幼虫期或蛹期死亡,未成熟期（卵、幼虫和蛹）在２４－３０℃范围内随着温度的升高而缩短,３３℃时反而有所延长。高温对幼虫虫龄及各龄幼虫头壳宽度也有显著的影响（ｐ＜０．０５）．２４、２７℃中老熟幼虫均为６龄,而３０、３３、３５℃中７龄老熟幼虫比例分别占４％、２４％、１００％．各龄幼虫的头壳宽度以２７℃的最宽,且随着温度的升高而逐渐下降（３５℃的２龄幼虫除外）,不论其差异是否显著。３３℃以上高温显著不利于幼虫头壳的增长。蛹也是以２７℃的最重,且随着温度的升高而降低,３３℃时达到显著差异（ｐ＜０．０５）．由此可见,３３℃以上高温不仅不利于粘虫幼虫和蛹的生存,而且导致幼虫蜕皮次数增加,各龄幼虫头壳宽度变小,未成熟期延长及蛹重降低等发育受阻现象,而３５℃高温直接对卵和蛹有完全致死作用,这些结果均是粘虫夏天在我国南方地区不能渡夏的直接原因。     

大黄鱼仔鱼摄食节律与生长的初步研究

本文研究了大黄鱼仔鱼的昼夜摄食习性及生长。实验结果表明:全长5.0—5.5mm的大黄鱼仔鱼具有明显的昼夜摄食节律,白天摄食,夜间不摄食。白天有三个摄食高峰,以下午13:00最高,早上9:00和下午17:00次之。仔鱼在12日龄前生长较慢,12日龄后生长明显加快。全长与日龄之间的关系可用方程TL=3.7545e~(0.047D)表示。     

挪威春季产卵的大西洋鲱仔稚鱼年孵化量的估算方法

１９８６～１９９０年间,挪威卑尔根海洋研究所每年都对挪威西海岸春季产卵的大西洋鲱仔稚鱼的分布区进行一次综合性调查,每年在大西洋鲱的孵化期,都在Ｓｕｎｎｍｒｅ近岸和Ｂｕａｇｒｕｎｎｅｎ的两个小区重复取样（通常每周２次）,并用覆盖整个孵化区的综合调查所得的资料计算出仔稚鱼日孵化量,用两个小区所得的资料作孵化曲线,从而得出在孵化期内仔稚鱼孵化量占年总孵化量的百分比。１９８６～１９９０年间仔稚鱼年孵化量分别是１．７×１０１２、３．９×１０１２、３５．４×１０１２、７２．８×１０１２和９９．１×１０１２尾。     

Wind-generated transport of fictitious passive larvae into shallow tidal estuaries

Four 14-day field experiments were conducted to determine the densities of postlarval white shrimp and blue crab megelopae moving into a tidal inlet along the south-eastern United States. Certain winds directions were statistically associated with peaks in abundance, a result which motivated us to use a high resolution finite-element numerical model to simulate passive larval transport under a variety of wind directions into the inlet. The passive particles were initially distributed uniformly in a zone of the continental shelf which extended 20 km offshore and 20 km alongshore in either direction. Each simulation was conducted for five tidal cycles (2.5 days) under constant wind stress. These simulations indicated that larvae are withdrawn from the continental shelf into the inlet from a narrow zone parallel to the shoreline but extending less that 5 km offshore. The withdrawal zone changed to one directly offshore of the inlet mouth only for a wind direction that pointed directly toward the inlet mouth. Under downwelling-favourable winds, particles originating in the surface accumulate along the downwind boundary and drift shoreward with time thus causing a 'pooling' of larvae along the coast. This scenario is repeated with less efficiency for upwelling-favourable winds with particles originating near bottom. The 'pooling' process occurs over the scale of the particle domain. A second and smaller scale is indicated by the relatively few particles which are withdrawn into the inlet as they pass inside the 7-m isobath (within 5 km of the coast). Those that do pass become available for inlets farther downstream.