Metabolite concentrations in plasma following treatment of cattle with five anthelmintics

Plasma concentrations of anthelmintics and their metabolites were determined after cattle were treated at recommended dose rates and routes of administration. Fenbendazole, oxfendazole, febantel, albendazole and thiabendazole were given orally and oxfendazole was also administered with an intraruminal injector. After fenbendazole, oxfendazole and febantel were administered, fenbendazole, oxfendazole and fenbendazole sulphone were all detected in plasma in each case. However, there were marked differences between the three anthelmintics in the peak concentrations and areas under the plasma concentration/time curve (AUC) of these three metabolites. Intraruminal administration of oxfendazole produced higher AUC for fenbendazole and fenbendazole sulphone than did oral administration. Albendazole sulphoxide and sulphone were detected in cattle plasma after albendazole administration but no parent drug was present. These metabolites disappeared more rapidly in cattle than has been reported for sheep. Only 5(6)hydroxythiabendazole was detected in cattle plasma after thiabendazole treatment.     

Speed of actin of some anthelmintics against Dictyocaulus viviparus infection in cattle

In a study of the comparative speed of action of anthelmintics against Dictyocaulus viviparus infection in cattle levamisole reduced the lungworm burdens by 87 per cent within three hours of administration whereas fenbendazole and febantel required 36 hours to achieve 80 and 87 per cent reduction, respectively. The more rapid action of levamisole may be advantageous in the treatment of bovine parasitic bronchitis since it allows virtually immediate elimination of the majority of the lungworms and limits undesirable sequelae dependent on the continued presence of the parasite.     

The survival and fecundity of buffalo flies after treatment of cattle with three anthelmintics

Two anthelmintics with known insecticidal action (ivermectin and closantel) and one with no recorded effect on insects (levamisole) were tested to evaluate their effects on buffalo fly (Haematobia irritans exigua). Blood from animals given closantel or levamisole had no significant effect on mortality of buffalo flies in an in-vitro assay. In contrast, blood from animals given ivermectin showed a dose-dependent effect on the mortality of buffalo flies. At 24 h after one injection of the recommended dose of ivermectin, 98% of the flies applied to cattle in an in-vivo assay are killed. Blood from cattle injected with ivermectin killed 95% of flies 8 d after injection and still killed 15% of flies at 18 days after injection. Surviving flies laid almost no eggs and this effect on flies was significant up to 33 d after injection. The results indicate that ivermectin may be useful to control buffalo fly populations in the field.     

Effects of cattle treatment with a fluazuron pour-on on survival and reproduction of the dung beetle species Onthophagus gazella (Fabricius)

While resistance against many other classes of acaricides has been described, products containing benzoylphenyl urea are currently still successfully used against the pesticide-resistant blue tick (Boophilus decoloratus) in South Africa. In order to assess any adverse impact of these tickicides on the important dung beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) fauna, a bioassay was undertaken on the ecotoxicological effects of a fluazuron (benzoylphenyl urea) pour-on formulation (Acatak) on the survival and reproduction of the African dung beetles species Onthophagus gazella (Fabricius). The experiment yielded no significant differences in adult or larval survival, egg production, fecundity and fertility between the control and treatment group following three beetle generations over. These results suggested that treatment of cattle with the fluazuron pour-on formulation Acatak was not detrimental to the selected dung beetle species in any notable way.     

Effects of diet on plasma concentrations of oral anthelmintics for cattle and sheep.

Groups of parasite-free lambs and calves which were either housed and fed hay and concentrates or were grazing on pasture were dosed separately with the oral anthelmintics fenbendazole and ivermectin (lambs only). The plasma concentrations of the drugs and their major metabolites were monitored during the period of their metabolism and excretion. The peak plasma concentrations and the availability of the drugs, as estimated by the areas under the plasma concentration-time curves, were significantly less in the grazing animals. When similar groups of lambs were dosed orally with the inert marker chromium EDTA, which has a particle size similar to the anthelmintics, it was observed that a higher percentage of chromium was excreted by the grazing lambs during the first 40 hours after dosing, suggesting that the extent of absorption in the grazing animals was less than in the housed animals.     

New screening test to predict the potential impact of ivermectin-contaminated cattle dung on dung beetles

According to European Union recommendations, a test method has been developed to evaluate the effects of veterinary pharmaceuticals on dung feeding insects. This test method was evaluated with the dung beetle Aphodius constans by using fecal residues of ivermectin after a pour-on administration. Dung of different age (and thus containing different concentrations of ivermectin) as well as mixtures of highly-contaminated spiked dung with untreated control dung were studied in five test runs in two laboratories. The concentration of ivermectin (active substance; a.s.) in the dung samples was verified analytically. The main test endpoint was the survival of first instar larvae. The LC50 using dung directly obtained from treated cattle ranged from 470 to 692 microg a.s. kg(-1) dung (dry weight; d.w.) and 67 to 97 microg a.s. kg(-1) dung (fresh weight; f.w.). Using mixtures, the outcome of two tests was almost identical: 770 to 781 microg a.s. kg(-1) dung (d.w.); 109 to 132 microg a.s. kg(-1) dung (f.w.). In comparison to the LC50 values obtained when ivermectin was spiked in control dung at several concentrations (LC50 880-985 microg a.s. kg(-1) dung (d.w.)), the LC50 values were again very similar. Three conclusions can be drawn from these results. The proposed test method seems to be robust and allows for the initiation of an international validation process (including ringtesting). Because of only small differences found in tests in which the test substance was spiked into control dung and those in which dung from treated cattle was applied, the use of a standard test method is proposed. The effects of ivermectin on ecologically relevant dung beetles obtained in a standardised test method reflect the results from field studies and are in the range of environmentally relevant concentrations.     

封育和添加牛粪对退化亚高山草甸土壤恢复的影响

为了解封育和添加牛粪措施对退化草地土壤恢复的影响,本研究以滇西北部亚高山草甸为研究对象,进行了延续4年的试验。结果表明,封育、添加牛粪均显著提高了退化亚高山草甸土壤有机质含量(P0.05),且封育下有机质含量高于添加牛粪处理;二者对土壤容重、含水量均无显著影响(P0.05)。封育、添加牛粪对土壤氮磷钾含量的作用有所不同,封育显著提高了0-10cm土层中全氮、全磷、速效钾的含量(P0.05),降低了全钾的含量(P0.05);牛粪处理则显著降低了0-10cm土壤全氮和速效磷的含量(P0.05),对全磷、速效钾的含量没有明显影响(P0.05)。封育和添加牛粪措施之间存在互作效应,共同作用时对0-10cm的全氮、全磷、速效磷的影响最大,对0-30cm土壤的有机质含量则存在累积效应。另外,全氮、全磷、全钾、速效磷、速效钾在土壤中的分布以0-10cm为主,在0-30cm土层中从上往下呈递减趋势。可见,封育和添加牛粪均改善了土壤的养分状况,有利于退化亚高山草甸土壤的恢复。     

Evaluation of the efficacy of anthelmintics against parafilariosis in cattle

Parafilariosis was first described in South Africa in 1964, thereafter being discovered at numerous localities in the country. When it became obvious that Parafilaria bovicola, for which no treatment was known, caused considerable economic losses, trials involving a series of compounds were conducted to identify candidate remedies. This paper describes an anthelmintic test for evaluating the efficacy of compounds for registration for field use. Recovery of Parafilaria worms is impractical for anthelmintic testing, and consequently the lesion sizes of treated and control groups of cattle are compared statistically, using appropriate statistical tests. The seasonal incidence of mature worm infection in cattle in South Africa is such that trials should commence after June and be completed before the end of January, allowing a lapse of 70 days between treatment and slaughter for resolution of the lesions. The presently available parafilaricidal compounds while of value for treating slaughter stock, when used alone will probably not be effective for control of infection in the field.     

A review of some modern equine anthelmintics

Thiabendazole was the first of several benzimidazole anthelmintics and was superior to previously available drugs in both-efficiency and safety. Of the “second generation” of benzimidazoles, mebendazole and cambendazole are widely used inhorses and provide wider efficacy spectra and lowerdose rates compared with thiabendazole. Thiabendazole has proven activity against larval strongyles, but requires high dose rates. Two organophosphates, dichlorvos and haloxon have been formulated as horse anthelmintics. Pyrantel and its analogue morantel, are reported as efficient equine anthelmintics, but only in-feed and pasteformulations are recommended by the manufacturer as suitable for horses. Strains of small strongyles tolerant to benzimidazoles have been reported in U.S.A. and U.K. The addition of a piperazine salt to approximately half recommended dose rate, or the use of pyrantel, removed the tolerant nematodes.     

牛粪堆积对草地影响的研究

初步研究了松嫩草地牛粪堆积对草地的影响。结果表明,草地牛粪堆积能提高土壤水分、有机质、全氮、全磷、全钾含量,降低土壤pH值,因而改善土壤理化性质,利于其周围植物生长,但只能延及到牛粪堆外围3~5 cm处,牛粪堆积造成其影响范围内的草地生产力下降11.2%。在草地牛粪中共调查到大型节肢动物3目8科15种,粪食性型种类10种,直蜉金龟在4,5,6和9月为优势种,而肖秋家蝇和东方角蝇幼虫在7,8月为优势种。牛粪中种子种类较少,数量较多,主要为稗草种子,其发芽率较低。牛粪中植物种子对碱斑地植被建植有重要意义。     

硫酸钠对奶牛瘤胃纤维物质降解的影响

本文旨在研究不同添加水平的硫酸钠对泌乳中期奶牛瘤胃纤维物质降解的影响。试验选用4头体重、胎次、产奶量均相近的荷斯坦奶牛,采用4×4拉丁方设计,分4个处理组,在基础日粮基础上分别添加0%(对照组)、0.4%(试验1组)、0.8%(试验2组)和1.2%硫酸钠(试验3组),试验分为4期,每期18 d(预试期14 d,正试期4 d)。结果表明:(1)饲粮中添加硫酸钠后,各试验组玉米秸秆DM的瘤胃有效降解率均显著提高(P<0.05);(2)饲粮中添加硫酸钠后,各试验组玉米秸秆中性洗涤纤维(NDF)和酸性洗涤纤维(ADF)瘤胃有效降解率均有所提高,其中试验1组和试验2组显著高于对照组(P<0.05)。结果提示,日粮中添加0.4%和0.8%的硫酸钠可以显著提高玉米秸秆DM、NDF、ADF的瘤胃有效降解率。     

Strategic use of anthelmintics for parasitic nematodes in cattle and sheep

Treatment regimes for the control of parasitic nematodes in cattle and sheep are reviewed. The advantages and disadvantages of each strategy are outlined and the veterinarian's judgement of the management and economic constraints involved when recommending a particular system to a client is emphasised.     

Retained placenta in cattle: the effect of treatment or nontreatment on puerperal diseases and subsequent fertility

In order to examine the effect of treated and untreated retained placenta (RP) on fertility and on the occurrence of puerperal and fertility diseases, the records of 248 cows with RP were examined: 199 cows were treated with intrauterine tetracycline or systemic therapeutics, and 49 were left untreated. One hundred and ninety-six herd mates without RP served as controls. The fertility of the cows with RP was lower than that of the controls. The effect of treatment on fertility was neither beneficial nor harmful. The untreated cows with RP seemed to be treated more often for endometritis and repeat breeding than either the treated animals or the controls. Mastitis within 1 week after calving was more common in both groups of RP cows than in the controls. Most cases of mastitis in the treated RP group could be diagnosed at the time of RP treatment.     

Effects of previous suppressive anthelmintic treatments on subsequent nematode infection in fattening cattle in Argentina

The effect of previous suppressive anthelmintic treatments after weaning on parasitological parameters and weight gain of cattle was studied in the Pampeana region of Argentina. The study was carried out at two grazing fattening periods: April 1995/July 1996 and April 1997/July 1998. During both periods, 60 weaned calves that grazed contaminated pastures, were divided into three groups during the first part of the periods: GY1 group was treated every 2 weeks with doramectin while GY2 and GY3 groups remained untreated. During the second part of the periods, from October onwards GY1 and GY2 remained untreated and GY3 was treated every 2 weeks. In this second period two new groups of 20 weaning young calves were added: TG (treated every 2 weeks) and UG (untreated). Egg counts (EPG), larval cultures, pasture larval counts, serum pepsinogen (Pep) and live weight gain (LWG) were recorded monthly. Ostertagia, Cooperia, Trichostrongylus and Haemonchus were the predominant genera. Despite low levels of previous infection during the first part of the period, slight differences of EPG between GY1 (P<0.09) or UG (P<0.05) and GY2 were detected in the second part of the fattening period in 1995/1996. In 1997/1998 moderate infection levels during the first part of the period were observed. During the second part of this period, GY1 and UG showed higher (P<0.001) EPG than GY2, and only GY3 and TG had (P<0.05) lower Pep levels. Also, during the second part of 1997/1998, LWG responses of GY3 were higher (P<0.001) than those of GY1 and GY2. Live weight gain of GY2 exceeded GY1 by 10.7kg (P<0.006). Higher EPG and lower LWG of GY1 suggest that suppressive treatments negatively affected the level of resistance to infection of yearlings, but these effects were influenced by previous levels of nematode infection. The lack of differences between yearling (GY1) and calves (UG) groups suggest that, under the conditions of this study, there was no evidence that resistance to infection and the related parameters are influenced by the age.