Impact of the nematophagous fungus Duddingtonia flagrans on Muellerius capillaris larvae in goat faeces

The small lungworm Muellerius capillaris is very prevalent in goats and causes production losses. Its control is particularly difficult. The nematophagous fungus Duddingtonia flagrans has been shown to be effective in trapping a large range of gastro-intestinal nematode larvae but its trapping activity against small lungworm remains to be assessed. The purpose of this work was firstly, to evaluate the ability of first-stage larvae of M. capillaris (L1) to induce trap formation in in vitro conditions and secondly, to determine the effect of D. flagrans on the L1 infectivity to snails. In experiments on agar, the presence of L1 failed to induce any D. flagrans traps whereas in the same conditions, gastro-intestinal third-stage larvae induced 44-135 traps/cm(2) depending on the species. Moreover, when the traps were pre-induced by Haemonchus contortus larvae, the L1 of M. capillaris were not trapped. For the in vivo trial, two goats naturally infected with M. capillaris received D. flagrans chlamydospores at the daily dose rate of 5x10(5) spores/kg BW for 8 days. Faeces were collected individually before, during and 11 days after spore administration. On each day of harvest, the initial larval output was determined. The remaining faeces were subjected to coproculture at 21 degrees C for 7 days. At the end of this period, L1 were collected and used to infect snails (30 snails per goat isolate each snail given 40 L1 by direct deposit of the larvae on the foot of the snail). These snails were artificially challenged in contrast to others that were exposed to natural infection by exposure to faeces carrying first-stage M. capillaris larvae. The natural infection used the same number of snails, i.e. 30 snails deposited on the faeces of each goat. After 3 weeks at room temperature, the infective larvae present in the snail foot were counted. There was no difference in the survival of the L1 in faeces after coproculture whether the faeces contained D. flagrans or not. The infectivity of the extracted larvae from the two goats before and after fungal administration was the same. The number of infective larvae per snail obtained after "natural" infection showed variations that were not related to the presence of D. flagrans mycelium in faeces. These trials clearly indicate that D. flagrans was unable to trap or to alter the infectivity of M. capillaris first-stage larvae and thus cannot be considered as a non-chemotherapeutic alternative approach to the control of the small lungworm in goats.     

Efficacy of the nematophagous fungus Duddingtonia flagrans in reducing equine cyathostome larvae on pasture in south Louisiana

The effectiveness of Duddingtonia flagrans in reducing the free living third stage larvae (L(3)) of equine cyathostomes on pasture when fed to horses has been demonstrated in cold temperate climates. The objective of this experiment was to assess the efficacy of D. flagrans against equine cyathostomes in the subtropical environment of southern Louisiana. Fecal pats were prepared by mixing feces obtained from a parasite-free horse fed D. flagrans at a dose of approximately 2 x 10(6) spores kg(-1), with feces containing cyathostome eggs from a parasitized horse. Control pats contained feces from a parasite-free horse mixed with feces containing cyathostome eggs. The fecal pats were placed on pasture in six replicates at 4-week intervals from March 1997 until January 1998. Comparison of recoveries of L(3) from non-treated control pats in the field with non-treated coprocultures maintained in the laboratory indicated that L(3) survival on pasture was reduced during the months of May, June, July, August and September. The efficacy of the fungus was determined by L(3) recovery from grass surrounding the fecal pats of treated and control groups. D. flagrans significantly reduced L(3) during the months of April, May, and October 1997 to January 1998 (range 66-99% reduction, p=0.0001), and for the year as a whole (p=0.0001).     

Biological control of nematode parasites of small ruminants in Malaysia using the nematophagous fungus Duddingtonia flagrans

Control of nematode parasites of small ruminants in a wet, tropical environment using the nematophagous fungus, Duddingtonia flagrans, was assessed in this study. Two methods of fungal delivery were tested, namely as a daily feed supplement, or incorporated into feed blocks. Initially, pen trials were conducted with individually penned groups of sheep and goats at dose rates of 125,000 spores and 250,000 spores/kg live weight per day. At the lower dose rate this reduction was between 80 and 90% compared with the pre-treatment levels. At the higher dose rate, there was virtually complete suppression (>99% reduction) of larval recovery. Trials using the fungal feed blocks, showed that when animals were individually penned, they consumed only small amounts of the block (particularly goats), hence little effect on larval recovery in faecal cultures was observed. Grouping animals according to species and dose rate induced satisfactory block consumption and subsequent high levels of larval reduction in faecal cultures. These larval reductions were mirrored by the presence of fungus in faecal cultures. This work was followed by a small paddock trial, whereby three groups of sheep were fed either a feed supplement without fungal spores, supplement with spores, or offered fungal blocks. The dose rate of spores in the latter two groups was 500,000 spores/kg live weight per day. Egg counts were significantly reduced in the two fungal groups, compared with the control group and the latter required two salvage anthelmintic treatments to prevent mortality due to haemonchosis. Pasture larval numbers on the two fungal group plots were also much lower than on the control plot.     

Effect of nematophagous fungus Duddingtonia flagrans and energy supplementation on the epidemiology of naturally infected kids

Gastrointestinal (GI) nematode infection is a major constraint for grazing livestock production. The increasing prevalence and severity of anthelmintic-resistant nematodes in many parts of the world has led to a search for non-chemical control options. Under experimental conditions, the nematophagous fungus Duddingtonia flagrans is emerging as an alternative to chemotherapy for the control of GI nematode infection in biological production systems. Also, recent information points to the role of energy nutrition to increase the immune response against GI nematode infection. In this study the effect of D. flagrans and energy supplementation on the epidemiology of GI nematode infections is explored on grazing kids. Four groups of 10, 4-month old goats were turned out on infected pasture in the early spring and allocated to four separate paddocks where they were rotationally grazed for 16 weeks. One of these groups (F) received 0.5 x 10(6) D. flagrans spores/kg BW/d. Another group (S) was supplemented with 100 g barley grain per day. A third group (F+S) received both nematophagous fungi and barley supplement treatments simultaneously while the fourth group (C) was used as a non-treated control. Both nematophagous fungi and barley supplement had a significant effect (P<0.01) on reducing pasture infectivity, faecal egg excretion and worm burdens at slaughter that was particularly evident for Trichostrongylus colubriformis. The combination of both treatments showed a synergistic effect on the control of gastrointestinal nematode infections. At slaughter, the average total post-mortem worm count of the F+S group was reduced by 65% compared with the non-treated control. The results herein show that D. flagrans can act as an efficient biological control agent against kid GI nematode infections on pasture, which could further improve carcass characteristics. While small amounts of energy supplement can also reduce kid infection, the effect of D. flagrans as a biological control agent appeared clearly enhanced both in magnitude and duration by energy supplementation. This has clear implications for grazing animals and provides an efficient method for the practical control of parasitic nematodes in biological production systems.     

The efficacy of two isolates of the nematode-trapping fungus Duddingtonia flagrans against Dictyocaulus viviparus larvae in faeces.

A series of experiments was carried out to examine the effects of two different isolates of the nematode-trapping fungus Duddingtonia flagrans to reduce the number of free-living larvae of the bovine lungworm, Dictyocaulus viviparus. A laboratory dose-titration assay showed that isolates CI3 and Troll A of D. flagrans significantly reduced (P < 0.05 to P < 0.001) the number of infective D. viviparus larvae in cultures at dose-levels of 6250 and 12,500 chlamydospores/g of faeces. The larval reduction capacity was significantly higher for Troll A compared to CI3 when lungworm larvae were mixed in faecal cultures with eggs of Cooperia oncophora or Ostertagia ostertagi and treated with 6250 chlamydospores/g of faeces. Both fungal isolates showed a stronger effect on gastrointestinal larvae than on lungworm larvae. Two plot trials conducted in 1996 and 1997 involved deposition of artificial faecal pats containing free-living stages of D. viviparus and C. oncophora on grass plots. Herbage around the pats was collected at regular intervals and infective larvae recovered, counted and identified. These experiments showed that both D. flagrans isolates reduced the number of gastrointestinal as well as lungworm larvae in faecal pats. During both plot trials, the transmission of C. oncophora larvae, but not D. viviparus, from faecal pats to the surrounding herbage was clearly affected by climatic conditions. After collection of faecal pats from the grass plots one month after deposition, the wet and dry weight of pats as well as organic matter content were determined. No differences were found between the fungus-treated and non-treated control pats. This indicated that the rate of degradation of faeces was not affected by the addition of the fungus.     

Effect of the nematophagous fungus,Duddingtonia flagrans,on the larval development of goat parasitic nematodes: a plot study

Effective alternatives to anthelmintic treatment against nematode parasites of goats are required because of the high prevalence of benzimidazole resistance. Towards this objective, the nematophagous fungus, Duddingtonia flagrans (Df), was used in a plot study against two main parasitic nematode species of goats, Teladorsagia circumcincta (Tcir) and Trichostrongylus colubriformis (Tcol). Worm-free, culled goats were experimentally infected with strains of Tcir and Tcol to constitute donors. Half of the animals were periodically given Df chlamydospores at a daily dose of 2.5 x 10(5) spores/kg BW while the remaining animals were kept as controls. At 5 time periods i.e. March, May, July, September and November 2001, corresponding to the main grazing season in France for goats, faeces were collected from the 6th day of fungus administration for the following 2 days to obtain approximately 1 kg of faeces from each group of animals: Tcir/Control, Tcol/Control, Tcir/Fungus, Tcol/Fungus. For each period and each group, the faeces were deposited on a 1 m2 grass plot and the grass was cut (3 replicates) on weeks 2, 4, 6, 8,12 after deposition, for infective larval recovery. Larvae were counted and the results were expressed as a ratio of larvae/eggs deposited. On the plots with the control faeces deposited in March, July and September, the grass infectivity due to Tcir and Tcol was similar and the maximum number occurred between 2 and 4 weeks post deposition. In May, the maximum numbers of larvae were not recorded until 8 weeks after deposition, due to high daily temperatures and dryness. In November, larval development took place only for Tcir. On the plots with the fungus treated faeces, a significant reduction in grass infectivity occurred for both nematodes and ranged from 50-60% in May, July and November deposits to 80-90% in the September deposit. On the contrary to these findings, no difference was recorded between the fungus and control plots for the March deposit. In conclusion, D. flagrans is suitable for reducing the number of infective larvae in the herbage during the main part of the grazing period for the most important digestive nematodes of goats.     

嗜线虫真菌Duddingtonia flagrans减少绵羊粪便中线虫感染性幼虫剂量测定

嗜线虫真菌Duddingtonia flagrans是目前发现的一种最具有动物胃肠道线虫病生物防治应用潜力的真菌。为了解该菌捕杀绵羊粪便中感染性幼虫效果与剂量的关系,为今后该制剂应用和质量检验标准的制定提供依据,用不同剂量的厚垣孢子,分别以不经消化道直接加入感染羊粪便,或作添加剂通过饲喂进入消化道后采集直肠粪便,经培养检测感染性幼虫数量的变化。结果表明,嗜线虫真菌Duddingtonia flagrans具有良好的捕杀胃肠道线虫感染性幼虫的生物学特性。以制剂厚垣孢子4&#215;103/g剂量加入感染羊粪便,或以每天5&#215;105/kg体质量的剂量饲喂绵羊,可使粪便培养物中线虫感染性幼虫数减少83.6%~87.5%。     

The potential of nematophagous fungi to control the free-living stages of nematode parasites of sheep: feeding and block studies with Duddingtonia flagrans.

A series of feeding trials was conducted with penned sheep harboring Trichostrongylus colubriformis infections. They were offered barley grains supporting the growth of the nematophagous fungus Duddingtonia flagrans. It was shown that as little as 5g of grain/sheep per day was sufficient to virtually eliminate larval numbers from faecal culture. This effect persisted for the time that the fungal grains were fed, and for up to 2 days following cessation of feeding this material. Macerated fungal grains were also incorporated into a range of feed block formulations. In all these, D. flagrans was found to survive the manufacturing process and resulted in significant reductions in larval numbers in faecal cultures set up during the feeding period to sheep. This was observed even for sheep that showed only modest and irregular block consumption. These studies demonstrate that supplementary feeding or block administration offer potential deployment options for D. flagrans as a means of biological control of nematode parasites of livestock.     

Nematophagous fungi as a biological control agent for nematode parasites of small ruminants in Malaysia: a special emphasis on Duddingtonia flagrans

Approximately 2,800 fresh dung samples from animals, mainly ruminant livestock, were screened for the presence of nematophagous fungi in Malaysia. Arthrobotrys spp. was noted on numerous occasions, but only one isolate of Duddingtonia flagrans was made. For the purposes of producing sufficient quantities of this fungus for feeding trials in sheep, various, commonly available, cheap plant materials were tested as possible growth substrates. This showed that cereal grains (wheat, millet and rice) were the best media for fungal growth. Pen feeding trials were carried out using sheep, both naturally and experimentally infected with nematode parasites (predominantely Haemonchus contortus), to test the efficiency of D. flagrans when administered either in a grain supplement, or incorporated into a feed block. These showed that the fungus survived gut passage in sheep and that dose rates of approximately 1 x 10(6) D. flagrans spores / animal / day, reduced the percentage of infective larvae developing in faecal cultures by more than 90%. These results indicate that using D. flagrans as a biological control agent of nematode parasites, is a promising alternative to nematode parasite control of small ruminants in Malaysia, where anthelmintic resistance is now a major problem.     

Effect of different times of administration of the nematophagous fungus Duddingtonia flagrans on the transmission of ovine parasitic nematodes on pasture--a plot study

Investigations were made into the timing of administration of Duddingtonia flagrans as a biological control agent against ovine parasitic nematodes including stongylid and Nematodirus spp. Faeces from 3-4 months old male lambs were deposited onto pasture plots that had never been grazed by sheep. The trial was conducted over two consecutive years (1998 and 1999). For both years, the following three plot types were involved: Sim plots had faeces containing nematode eggs and Duddingtonia flagrans spores deposited simultaneously; Post plots had faeces containing nematode eggs followed 2 weeks later by faeces containing D. flagrans spores alone; Control plots had faeces containing only nematode eggs; Prior plots (included in 1999) had faeces containing D. flagrans spores alone followed 2 weeks later by faeces containing nematode eggs. In each year, two deposition periods were involved: July and August in 1998 and June and July in 1999. During the first year pasture samples were collected at 2, 4, 6, 8 and 12 weeks after initial deposition. In 1999, additional samples were collected at 10, 16 and 20 weeks. Larvae were extracted from the pasture samples and counts performed to estimate the number and species of infective third-stage (L(3), larvae) present. The number of third-stage strongylid larvae on pasture was significantly lower on Sim plots compared to the remaining plot types for both years at all deposition times (P<0.001). This was also the case for the number of Nematodirus infective larvae in August deposition plots in 1998 (P<0. 02). There was no significant difference between treatments in both deposition times in 1999 and July deposition plots in 1998 for the Nematodirus data. These results suggest that D. flagrans, if deposited at the same time as parasite eggs prevents transmission of third-stage larvae from the faecal deposit onto pasture, including occasionally Nematodirus species, but does not have an effect on third-stage parasitic nematode larvae in the surrounding soil.     

Predatory activity of the nematophagous fungus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Duddingtonia flagrans</Emphasis> on horse cyathostomin infective larvae

This work was performed to determine the predatory capacity in vitro of the nematophagous fungus Duddingtonia flagrans (isolate AC001) on cyathostomin infective larvae of horse (L₃). The experimental assay was carried out on plates with 2% water-agar (2% WA). In the treated group, each plate contained 1.000 L₃ and 1.000 conidia of the fungus. The control group without fungus only contained 1.000 L₃ in the plates. Ten random fields (4 mm diameter) were examined per plate of treated and control groups, every 24 h for seven days under an optical microscope (10× and 40× objective lens) for non-predated L₃ counts. After 7 days, the non-predated L₃ were recovered from the Petri dishes using the Baermann method. The interaction there was a significant reduction (p < 0.01) of 93.64% in the cyathostomin L₃ recovered. The results showed that the D. flagrans is a potential candidate to the biological control of horse cyathostomin L₃.     

Ability of the fungus Duddingtonia flagrans to adapt to the cyathostomin egg-output by spreading chlamydospores

The analysis of the capability of the nematode trapping-fungus Duddingtonia flagrans to adapt to the cyathostomin egg-output in horses was evaluated. Fecal samples from 196 pasturing autochthonous Pura Raza Galega horses were collected from the rectum and then divided according to the egg-output into three groups: ≤ 300, 310-800 and >800 eggs per gram feces. Four doses of chlamydospores (0.1, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.8 × 10(6)/100g feces) were directly spread onto fecal pats on the ground, remaining one without treatment as control. Fecal pats confirmed the presence of gastrointestinal nematode larvae belonging to strongylid cyathostomins (Cyathostomum and Gyalocephalus spp). An overall 94% (95% CI 91, 97) percentage of reduction was obtained, and an increase in the activity of the trapping-fungi simultaneously to the rising in the number of cyathostomin eggs and larvae in the coprocultures was detected. A significantly highest reduction of the cyathostomin L3 in the coprocultures with more than 800 EPG was found, which indicates that Df trapping activity is larvae nematode density-dependant. The present research showed the high biological activity of D. flagrans against nematode larvae can adjust to the cyathostomin egg-output, and underlines its efficacy as a practical method for the control of these parasites in grazing horses.     

Possible application of a nematophagous fungus as a biological control agent of parasitic nematodes on commercial sheep farms in South Africa

Biological control of parasitic nematodes of livestock is currently under development and represents another tool that may be integrated into helminth parasite control strategies. This paper presents a brief introduction to commercial sheep farming in South Africa and currently available nematode parasite control methods. These include the FAMACHA clinical assay, strategies of pasture management, dilution of resistant worm species by introduction of susceptible worms, breed resistant sheep and nutritional supplementation. The purpose of this paper is to outline the principles of biological control using nematophagous fungi and how it may be applied on sheep farms in South Africa.     

Epidemiological approach to the control of horse strongyles

An investigation of the spring rise in strongyle egg output of grazing horses on two commercial horse farms in northern USA in 1981 and 1982 revealed two distinct spring and summer rises in faecal egg counts, with peaks in May and August/September. There was a marked rise in the concentration of infective larvae on pasture two to four weeks after the peaks in egg output, so that grazing horses were at serious risk from June onwards and pasture larval counts on one farm did not fall to low levels until June of the following year. The spring and summer rises in faecal egg counts appeared to be seasonal in nature, to be derived largely from worms developing from previously ingested larvae, rather than from newly ingested larvae, and to be unrelated to the date of foaling. An epidemiological approach to strongyle control based on prophylactic treatments in the spring successfully eliminated the spring rise in egg output but was inadequate to control the summer rise or subsequent escalation of pasture infectivity in September. It was, nevertheless, superior to a conventional treatment programme at eight week intervals, using the same drug, pyrantel pamoate. Prophylactic spring/summer treatments proved to be much more effective. Both pyrantel pamoate at four week intervals and ivermectin at eight week intervals kept faecal egg counts at low levels during spring and summer. As few as two ivermectin treatments (11 May, 6 July) resulted in a sixfold reduction in pasture larval counts on 9 November and 3 January for the treated group (8872, 8416 stage three larvae [L3]/kg) compared to the control group (52,824, 50,984 L3/kg).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Efficacy of the nematode-trapping fungus Duddingtonia flagrans against three species of gastro-intestinal nematodes in laboratory faecal cultures from sheep and goats

The ability of the nematode-killing fungus Duddingtonia flagrans to reduce number of infective larvae of three species of gastro-intestinal parasitic nematodes developing in dung was investigated in both goats and sheep. Groups of lambs and kids (12-20 weeks old) were given mono-specific infections of Haemonchus contortus, Ostertagia (Teladorsagia) circumcincta or Trichostrongylus colubriformis. Following patency of the infections (t1) faecal samples were collected for determination of faecal nematode egg count (FEC) and culture of parasite larvae. Groups of animals were then dosed on 2 consecutive days with one of the two dose rates of the fungus (250,000 or 500,000 spores/kg liveweight). One (t2) and 5 (t3) days after the second dose of fungus samples were again collected for FEC and culture. The number of larvae recovered from the faecal cultures at t1 and t3 were used as controls to assess the efficacy of the experimental treatment at t2. Average efficacy was 78% with group means ranging from 40 to 93%. Dose rate of fungus appeared to influence efficacy against O. circumcincta but not against H. contortus or T. colubriformis. Overall, there were no differences in the efficacy of the fungus against any of the parasite species or in either host animal. The results of this trial indicate the potential use of this fungus as a broad spectrum anti-parasite agent for use in both goats and sheep.     

Field studies on the biological control of nematode parasites of sheep in the tropics, using the microfungus Duddingtonia flagrans

Long-term field studies were conducted on two government managed small ruminant research farms, located in different geo-climatic regions and approximately 300 km separate from each other, on Peninsula Malaysia. The Infoternak trial (48 weeks) and the Chalok trial (43 weeks) each compared nematode parasite control in separately managed groups of young sheep, either short-term rotationally grazed around a suite of 10 paddocks in addition to receiving a daily supplement of Duddingtonia flagrans spores (Fungus Group); or similar groups of sheep being rotationally grazed alone (Control Group). The prevailing weather conditions at Infoternak farm were of below average rainfall conditions for the most of the trial. As a consequence, only very low worm infections (almost exclusively Haemonchus contortus) were acquired by the 17 sets of tracer lambs that grazed sequentially with the experimental lambs. However on all except 2 occasions in the early part of the trial, the mean tracer worm burdens were significantly lower (P < 0.05) and the experimental lambs grew significantly better (P = 0.054) in the Fungus Group. Rainfall at Chalok farm during the course of the trial was also below average. As a consequence infectivity of pastures was assumed to be relatively low based on faecal egg counts (epg) of the experimental sheep, which following an anthelmintic treatment prior to allocation, remained very low in both treatment groups. Faecal egg counts of undosed replacement lambs in the latter half of the Chalok study, showed a progressive increase in the Control Group to levels exceeding 3000 epg, whereas the Fungus Group remained static at approximately 500 epg. These results show that the deployment of the nematophagous fungus, D. flagrans, can improve the level of parasite control of sheep in the tropics above that which can be achieved by the short-term rotational grazing strategy alone.     

A technique for the quantification of Duddingtonia flagrans chlamydospores in sheep faeces

Previous observations showed that Duddingtonia flagrans chlamydospores were visualized in McMaster chambers containing faeces of treated sheep. This trial explored the McMaster technique as a tool to quantify chlamydospores in sheep faeces. A range of individual chlamydospore doses (from 19.5 x 10(6) to 177.5 x 10(6)) were offered orally to nine lambs for 7 consecutive days. A faecal sample (5 g) was daily obtained from the rectum of each animal (from days 1 to 13) to perform the McMaster technique using a sugar flotation fluid with 1.27 g/mL density. Each chlamydospore counted in the McMaster chamber was considered as 50 chlamydospores per g of faeces (CPG). The results confirmed that the estimated CPG was associated with the daily dose offered to the animals (r(2)=0.90; P<0.001). Furthermore, the total chlamydospore dose received by each animal was strongly associated to the total quantity of CPG obtained from the bulk faeces (TCtot) (r(2)=0.96; P<0.0001). Quantification of CPG can be used as a helpful tool to determine the number of chlamydospores reaching the faeces in orally dosed animals. This could be used to evaluate the efficacy of D. flagrans for the control of gastrointestinal nematode larvae in sheep faeces.     

Viability and nematophagous activity of the freeze-dried fungus Arthrobotrys robusta against Ancylostoma spp. infective larvae in dogs

Viability and in vitro and in vivo activities of freeze-dried conidia of the predatory fungus Arthrobotrys robusta (I-31) were evaluated against infective larvae (L(3)) of Ancylostoma spp. in dogs. A. robusta conidia were lyophilized and stored at 4°C for a month. Freeze-dried conidia were diluted to 1×10(3)conidia/ml and tested in vivo. The treated group consisted of a solution containing conidia (1ml) and 1000 Ancylostoma spp. (L(3)) placed on Petri dishes plated with 2% water-agar (2% WA), at 25°C, in the dark for 10 days. The control group consisted of 1000 Ancylostoma spp. L(3), plated on 2% WA. After 10 days, Ancylostoma spp. L(3) from both the treated and the control groups were recovered and counted. The in vivo test was performed on two dogs by administering a single oral dose of freeze-dried conidia (1.5×10(5)) in aqueous solution to one animal and only water to the other. Fecal samples were collected at 12, 24 and 48h after the treatments, plated 2% WA plates and incubated at 25°C for 15 days. A thousand Ancylostoma spp. L(3) larvae were spread on these plates. At day 15, infective L(3) recovered from the treated and control groups were counted. In the in vitro test, A. robusta was able to survive the freeze-drying process, grow in the plates, form traps and capture Ancylostoma spp. L(3). There was a 75.38% decrease in the number of infective larvae recovered from the treated group. The in vivo test showed that freeze-dried A. robusta conidia survived the passage through the gastrointestinal tract of the treated dog, was able to grow in the plates and capture Ancylostoma spp. L(3), reducing the number of recovered L(3) (p<0.01). Freeze-drying can be an alternative method for conservation of conidia of nematophagous fungi.     

Biological control of goat gastrointestinal helminthiasis by Duddingtonia flagrans in a semi-arid region of the northeastern Brazil

The aim of this study was to test a pellet formulation in a sodium alginate matrix of Duddingtonia flagrans in the biological control of goat gastrointestinal helminths kept in a native pasture in a semi-arid region of Paraíba state, northeastern Brazil. An area of 2.4 ha was divided into three paddocks, where groups of seven goats ware formed. Each group received the following treatments during the months of March to August 2011: D. flagrans group, received 3g of pellets containing D. flagrans (AC001) for each 10 kg/l.w., twice a week; Moxidectin 0.2% group, received 0.2mg/kg of Moxidectin 0.2% orally, every 30 days; Control group, received 3g of pellets without fungi per 10 kg/l.w., twice a week. Each month, a tracer goat was placed in each group for 30 days and then sacrificed and necropsied. The D. flagrans group showed a greater reduction in EPG, increased weight gain, higher rates of packed cell volume and lower parasitic load burden in the tracer goats compared to Moxidectin 0.2% and Control groups. D. flagrans was efficient in controlling goat gastrointestinal helminthiasis in a semi-arid region of northeastern Brazil.