Plants as de-worming agents of livestock in the Nordic countries: historical perspective, popular beliefs and prospects for the future.

Preparations derived from plants were the original therapeutic interventions used by man to control diseases (including parasites), both within humans and livestock. Development of herbal products depended upon local botanical flora with the result that different remedies tended to develop in different parts of the world. Nevertheless, in some instances, the same or related plants were used over wide geographic regions, which also was the result of communication and/or the importation of plant material of high repute. Thus, the Nordic countries have an ancient, rich and diverse history of plant derived anthelmintic medications for human and animal use. Although some of the more commonly used herbal de-wormers were derived from imported plants, or their products, many are from endemic plants or those that thrive in the Scandinavian environment. With the advent of the modern chemotherapeutic era, and the discovery, development and marketing of a seemingly unlimited variety of highly efficacious, safe synthetic chemicals with very wide spectra of activities, herbal remedies virtually disappeared from the consciousness--at least in the Western world. This attitude is now rapidly changing. There is a widespread resurgence in natural product medication, driven by major threats posed by multi-resistant pest, or disease, organisms and the diminishing public perceptions that synthetic chemicals are the panacea to health and disease control. This review attempts to provide a comprehensive account of the depth of historical Nordic information available on herbal de-wormers, with emphasis on livestock and to provide some insights on potentially rewarding areas of "re-discovery" and scientific evaluation in this field.     

Evolution of High-level,Multiple Anthelmintic Resistance on a Sheep Farm in Malaysia

Anthelmintic resistance in nematode parasites of sheep and goats on a government farm in north Malaysia was monitored over a 3-year period (1997–2000). The faecal egg count reduction test (FECRT) was conducted on young sheep at the beginning and end of this period. Changes in management, designed to reduce the selection pressure for the development of anthelmintic resistance, were also implemented during this time. By far the most important parasite problem was Haemonchus contortus. In 1997, this nematode was found to be resistant to levamisole, with suspected resistance to closantel and moxidectin. However, when the FECRT was repeated 3 years later, its resistance status had become much more severe, with resistance to benzimidazole, levamisole and ivermectin, and suspected resistance to moxidectin. This rapid evolution to multiple anthelmintic resistance is a major concern that needs to be arrested. There is an urgent need to evaluate other control strategies that incorporate livestock management, the `smart' use of drugs and non-chemotherapeutic approaches, such as biological control agents.     

长汀县山麻鸭寄生蠕虫调查及其群落生态分析

剖检长汀县２１羽山麻鸭，检得寄生蠕虫１０种，总感染率为８１％，平均感染强度和密度分别为３６条和３０条。各种蠕虫及其感染分别为：楔形前殖吸虫２８．６％，大多形棘头虫４．％，似椎低颈吸虫４．８％，福建单睾绦虫３３．３￥，美国膜壳绦虫４．８％。     

太白湖主要经济鱼类寄生蠕虫种类调查

2015年12月,采用形态学方法对长江中游的太白湖鱼类鳃和肠道寄生蠕虫进行了初步调查和种类鉴定。结果显示:在调查的15种131尾鱼中,共分离鉴定了36种寄生蠕虫,其中单殖吸虫30种,复殖吸虫1种,绦虫5种;对其中6种单殖吸虫的形态特征进行了重新描述。大部分鱼类的鳃部都感染单殖吸虫,只有4种鱼类的肠道感染寄生蠕虫,较低的体内寄生蠕虫多样性表明该湖泊的生态环境可能受到较严重的干扰。     

Investigations on the Influence of Helminth Parasites on Vaccination of Chickens against Newcastle Disease Virus under Village Conditions

Prevalence studies have shown that almost 100% of free-range chickens are infected with a wide range of parasites. The infections are mostly subclinical in nature, resulting in production losses and occasionally mortality. Newcastle disease (ND), on the other hand, results in high mortality rates during epidemics. ND is a limiting factor for increasing poultry production in many tropical countries, where frequent reports indicate vaccination failures. The aim of our study was to investigate the influence of helminths on the antibody response after vaccination against Newcastle disease of free-range chickens naturally infected with parasites. Sixty chickens were divided into six groups, of which three were vaccinated against ND with a live De Soto vaccine, while the other three remained non-vaccinated. One group within the vaccinated groups and the one within the non-vaccinated group was kept naturally infected with helminth parasites, while the other two groups in each set were dewormed with fenbendazole and niclosamide, and one of each of these groups was subsequently infected with Ascaridia galli. After vaccination, all the groups were followed for 5 weeks and their antibody titres were determined weekly using a HI test. All the birds were finally challenged 4 weeks after vaccination with a virulent velogenic ND virus obtained from a field outbreak. All the vaccinated chickens seroconverted and had high antibody levels after 3 weeks, but these dropped to low levels at 4 weeks after vaccination. After challenge, the antibody titres rose in the dewormed groups but not in the parasite-infected groups. After 5 weeks, all the parasite-infected animals had significantly lower antibody titres than the dewormed animals. All the vaccinated chickens survived the challenge infection, emphasizing the importance of the cellular immune response. Further studies are needed to examine the effects of the parasitic infection on protection against ND over a longer period.     

苏云金芽孢杆菌防治蠕虫的研究进展

苏云金芽孢杆菌(Bacillus thuringiensis)能在菌体内形成具有芽孢性质的伴胞晶体,晶体对动植物寄生线虫和原生动物具有特异的杀虫活性,而对人畜无毒,不污染环境。利用苏云金芽孢杆菌伴胞晶体制剂来防治蠕虫病是一个全新的领域,如果这种制剂能治疗蠕虫病,必将推动蠕虫净化的进程。     

The dynamics, prevalence and impact of nematode infections in organically raised sheep in Sweden

A three-year survey (1997-99) was carried out on organically reared sheep flocks throughout Sweden. The aim was to determine the prevalence and intensity of nematode infections and to establish relationships between sheep management practices and parasite infections. Faecal samples from ewes and lambs were collected from 152 organic flocks around lambing-time and during the grazing-period for analysis. Results were compared with the different management practices that farmers use to prevent parasitism in their flocks. A high proportion of the flocks was infected with nematodes. The most prevalent species were Haemonchus contortus, Teladorsagia circumeincta, Trichostrongylus axei. T. colubriformis and Chabertia ovina and infections progressively increased during summer in lambs grazing on permanent pastures. Severity of parasitic infection in lambs was highly dependent on egg output from the ewes. H. contortus was found in 37% of the flocks, even at latitudes approximating the Polar Circle. Nematodirus battus was recorded for the first time in Sweden during the course of this study. Lambs turned out onto permanent pasture showed higher nematode faecal egg counts (epg) than lambs that had grazed on pastures, which had not carried sheep the previous year. This beneficial effect of lambs grazing non-infected pastures persisted if the ewes were treated with an anthelmintic before turn-out and if the lambs were kept on pastures of low infectivity after weaning. In lambs, the prevalence and the magnitude of their egg counts were higher during autumn in flocks where lambs were slaughtered after 8 months of age, compared with flocks where all lambs were slaughtered before this age. These results will be used in providing advice to farmers of ways to modify their flock management in order to minimise the use of anthelmintics, but at the same time efficiently produce prime lambs.     

山西省羊寄生蠕虫种类调查

自1979年至1984年对山西省羊的寄生虫进行了普查,共剖检羊2687只(其中绵羊1113只,山羊1574只)。采用蠕虫学完全剖检法收集每只羊的蠕虫标本,共获得各种蠕虫49种,其中包括吸虫5种,绦虫及绦虫蚴8种,线虫36种,分隶于18科28属。     

福安市麻鸭寄生蠕虫的初步调查与群落生态分析

剖检福安市麻鸭30只,检得蠕虫11种,总感染率为73.3％。分别为:鸭两尖吸虫23％,楔形前殖吸虫23％,卷棘口吸虫7％,宫川棘口吸虫23％,接睾棘口吸虫3％,似难低颈吸虫3％,细背孔吸虫7％,舟形嗜气管吸虫3％,叉棘单睾绦虫13％,裂刺四棱线虫47％,鸭瓣口线虫20％。群落生态分析表明,优势种为裂刺四棱线虫。两两种间关系中,卷棘口吸虫分别与宫川棘口吸虫和鸭瓣口线虫呈正关联(P<0.05);接睾棘口吸虫、舟形嗜气管吸虫和似锥低颈吸虫之间呈负关联(P<0.05)。种群分布型中属随机分布的有卷棘口吸虫、接睾棘口吸虫和舟形嗜气管吸虫,其余8种均为聚集分布。