Field studies of the immunisation of lambs with drug-abbreviated infections of Trichostrongylus colubriformis and Ostertagia circumcincta

Fifty, 5–6 month-old lambs were randomly allocated to five equal groups. Three groups of lambs were immunised by three oxfendazole-abbreviated (artificial) infections of Trichostrongylus colubriformis and Ostertagia circutncincta. Group 1 was immunised with a high dose of larvae, Group 2 with a medium dose and Group 3 with a low dose. A fourth group was treated with oxfendazole only and a fifth group was not treated (control). All groups were grazed together on pasture naturally contaminated with nematode larvae. Immunisation significantly reduced the number of eggs per gram of faeces in all three groups, but the lowest faecal egg count was seen in Group 3 (immunised with the lowest number of larvae). Significantly better liveweight gains and wool weight were observed in Group 2 animals than in the control group. Of all anthelmintic-treated animals, only Group 1 lambs did not have a signscantly lower dag weight than controls.     

Anthelmintic resistance and management of nematode parasites on beef cattle-rearing farms in the North Island of New Zealand

AIM: To provide information on current farmers’ opinions and farming practices thought to be related to anthelmintic resistance, and to test for associations between the presence of anthelmintic resistance and management practices on beef cattle- rearing farms in the North Island of New Zealand.

METHODS: A study using an interview-based questionnaire about management of internal parasites was conducted on 62 beef cattle-rearing farms in the North Island of New Zealand, using case-control analyses to test for associations between management practices and the presence or absence of resistance to ivermectin or albendazole. Resistance was inferred from faecal nematode egg count (FEC) reduction (FECR) tests (FECRTs) when there was <90% reduction in FEC 7-10 days after treatment of calves <12 months of age.

RESULTS: Of the 59 farmers who completed the questionnaire, most (n=40) ranked parasites highly, and at about the same level as quality and quantity of feed, as important production-limiting factors for their enterprises. In contrast, anthelmintic resistance was not perceived to be a problem on 13 farms, and its importance was rated low on 24, moderate on 15, and high on only six farms. Despite all farms having planned parasite control programmes, there was heavy reliance on clinical signs of parasitism to determine frequency of treatments. About one in three farmers with beef breeder cows routinely treated their calves at marking, one in five treated mixed-age cows, and almost half treated rising 2-year-old cows before calving. One in four farmers used anthelmintics on calves on 8–12 occasions in their first year of life. Co-grazing with other species was rare, but follow-on grazing within 3 months after older cattle or sheep was common. On most farms, grazing cattle was restricted to part of the farm, a finding with implications for parasite control and persistence of larvae in refugia. Macrocyclic lactone (ML) anthelmintics or their combinations with other action families were currently, and for the past 5 years, used more frequently than benzimidazoles and levamisole, and benzimidazole-levami- sole combinations. The prevalence of resistance to ivermectin was high (82%) and no plausible model of associations could be constructed from the data. The prevalence of resistance to albendazole was 60%, and the risk of resistance increased as the number of rising 1-year-old cattle present mid-winter increased, and decreased as the number of breeding cows >2 years old present mid-winter increased.

CONCLUSION: It is clear that in practice anthelmintic resistance is a secondary consideration to obtaining productivity advantages from the use of anthelmintics in beef cattle. Farmers’ opinions were divided on many issues and the overall impres- sion was of confused and diverse thinking regarding the principles of the use of anthelmintics. The overall outlook regarding anthelmintic resistance in cattle is bleak unless the need for integrated and long-term research activities is acted upon soon.     

Selective and on-demand drenching of lambs: Impact on parasite populations and performance of lambs

AIM: To determine whether drenching regimes for lambs by which a proportion (10%) of the heaviest animals was selectively left untreated, or animals are only drenched ‘on demand’ when faecal nematode egg counts (FEC) exceeded a threshold level, would result in measurable increases in parasite larval challenge in the autumn and/or decreases in the performance of lambs.

METHODS: A replicated study compared three drenching strategies in which mobs of lambs (n=360 in total) received either: a five-drench preventive programme, administered to all animals (Treatment 1); a five-drench preventive programme, but the 10% heaviest animals left untreated each time (Treatment 2); or drench treatments administered only when FEC exceeded 500 eggs per gram of faeces (epg) (Treatment 3). After the five-drench programme, animals in Treatments 1 and 2 were treated according to FEC as for Treatment 3. A triple-combination drench containing ivermectin, oxfendazole and levamisole, administered orally, was used for all treatments. There were nine farmlets, allowing three replicates of each treatment, in a completely randomised design. Parasite infestations on pasture were measured in autumn by pasture plucks, and worm burdens were monitored in tracer lambs, while the performance of lambs was assessed by liveweight gains, fleece weights, and body condition and dag scores.

RESULTS: Increased numbers of Haemonchus contortus and Trichostrongylus colubriformis larvae on pasture were found in the autumn on farmlets treating selectively or on-demand (Treatments 2 and 3). No differences were detected in other parasite species. Mean liveweight gains did not differ between treatments but some differences were detected between drenched and undrenched lambs in Treatment 2. Mean body condition and mean dag scores of lambs in Treatment 3 tended to be lower and higher, respectively, than those of lambs in Treatment 1; Treatment 2 was generally intermediate.

CONCLUSIONS: Drenching strategies for lambs designed to slow the development of anthelmintic resistance, by increasing the pool of susceptible worms available to dilute resistant survivors after treatment, resulted in increased numbers of H. contortus and T. colubriformis but not other species of parasite on pasture. The increased parasite challenge to lambs in the autumn was associated with small production losses, which may be acceptable to farmers wishing to implement such strategies. It is clear that further work is required on the interaction between management practices and the population dynamics of parasites, especially with regard to creating pools of susceptible genotypes to slow the development of drench resistance.     

Growth response in lambs injected with a long acting microencapsulated Vitamin B 12

Nematode parasites have been a major factor limiting sheep production in New Zealand for more than 100 years. Twenty-nine species of nematodes were unintentionally introduced with sheep into New Zealand, but it is principally species of Haemonchus, Ostertagia, Trichostrongylus, Nematodirus and Cooperia that are associated with production losses and clinical disease.

The seasonal dynamics of nematode infection are the consequence of complex inter-relationships between the sheep, their husbandry and the prevailing climate. The patterns of pasture contamination by nematode eggs and then larvae, and the subsequent levels of infection in ewes and lambs are broadly similar throughout New Zealand. Numbers of infective larvae on pasture build up over summer to a peak in autumn/early winter with, in some years, a spring peak derived from the parturient rise in faecal nematode egg counts (FEC), expressed in eggs per gram of faeces (epg), in lactating ewes. The immune capability of lambs is initially low but increases with the magnitude and duration of exposure to infection. Once significant immunity has developed (usually by 10–12 months of age), sheep are capable of markedly restricting parasite infection, except during times of disease, malnutrition or stress.

For the effective control of nematode parasites, farmers have come to rely almost exclusively on broad-spectrum anthelmintics. However, issues relating to resistance, residues and eco-toxicity increasingly threaten the sustainability of chemotherapy. In order to maintain present levels of parasite control and productivity in the long term, farmers need to integrate management practices aimed at minimising animal exposure to parasites with reduced reliance on anthelmintics.     

Duration of Anthelmintic Effect of Three Formulations of Ivermectin (Oral,Injectable and Pour-on) Against Multiple Anthelmintic-Resistant <Emphasis Type="Italic">Haemonchus contortus</Emphasis> in Sheep

We report the results of investigations that were conducted in a sheep flock in Uttaranchal, India where repeated failure of anthelmintic medication was noted. The study revealed that Haemonchus contortus in sheep had developed resistance to benzimidazoles (fenbendazole, mebendazole and albendazole), imidazothiazole (levamisole) and salicylanide (rafoxanide), while it was fully susceptible to avermectins (ivermectin). Further, the suppression of nematode egg output in faeces of sheep naturally infected with multiple anthelmintic-resistant H. contortus following treatment with ivermectin tablet (0.4 mg/kg body weight (bw), orally), ivermectin injection (1% w/v, 0.2 mg/kg bw, subcutaneously) and ivermectin pour-on (0.5 w/v, 0.5 mg/kg bw) was also studied over a period of 10 weeks post treatment. It was noted that ivermectin tablet after initial clearance of infection (faecal egg count reduction 100%), could not prevent establishment of new patent natural infection for even a single day, while ivermectin pour-on and injection prevented the establishment of new infection for 7 and 14 days post treatment, respectively. Maximum protection period (duration for which mean faecal egg count of sheep reaches 500 eggs per gram of faeces or more) of 68 days was recorded in sheep treated with injectable ivermectin, followed by pour-on (60 days) and oral (53 days) preparations.     

野生猕猴和食蟹猴寄生虫的调查与驱虫净化

通过剖检伤、病、死猴共 2 93只 ,检查体内寄生虫 ,说明了野生猕猴和食蟹猴的寄生虫寄生的情况 ,并探讨用复方吡喹酮进行驱虫净化的方法。     

Synthesis,conformational studies and anthelmintic activity of a constrained PF1022A analogue

A mono-proline analogue of the potent anthelmintic cyclooctadepsipeptide PF1022A has been synthesized. NMR studies in combination with molecular dynamics simulations demonstrate that the confirmation of this analogue is both rigidified and distorted compared with the asymmetric conformation of PF1022A. The backbone conformation is significant with respect to anthelmintic activity. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry     

Synthesis and Anthelmintic Activity of 7-Hydroxy- 5-oxo-5H-thieno[3,2-b]pyran-6-carboxanilides and -6-thiocarboxanilides

7-Hydroxy-5-oxo-5H-thieno[3,2-b]pyran-6-carboxanilides and -6-thio-carboxanilides represent a novel series of anthelmintic compounds, with broad-spectrum activity against important parasitic nematodes in sheep and dogs. In particular, an improved efficacy against Trichostrongylus colubriformis in sheep over the related 3-carbamoyl-4-hydroxycoumarins has been noted. New synthetic routes to the key intermediate, 7-hydroxythieno[3,2-b]pyran-5-one, have been developed.     

Facing the threat of equine parasitic disease

Horses worldwide are exposed to a complex mixture of intestinal parasitic helminths. When burdens are high, these parasites can seriously compromise health and welfare. Some helminth species have an extremely high prevalence and are difficult to control, not least because there is a limited understanding of their most basic biology. Furthermore, levels of resistance to some of the commonly used anthelmintics are widespread and increasing. The cyathostomins are the most common nematode species affecting equids worldwide. Within this group of parasites are more than 50 different species. Until recent research activities, little was known about the contribution that individual species make to clinical disease, parasite epidemiology and anthelmintic resistance. This review describes some of the recent research advances in the understanding of cyathostomins in these areas. As part of the research effort, molecular tools were developed to facilitate identification of the non-parasitic stages of cyathostomins. These tools have proved invaluable in the investigation of the relative contributions that individual species make to the pathology and epidemiology of mixed infections. At the more applied level, research has also progressed in the development of a diagnostic test that will allow numbers of cyathostomin encysted larvae to be estimated. This test utilises cyathostomin-specific serum antibody responses as markers of infection. As anthelmintic resistance will be the major constraint on parasite control in future, researchers are actively investigating mechanisms of drug resistance and how to improve the detection of resistance in the field. Recent developments in these areas are also outlined.     

Pharmacokinetics of subcutaneously administered doramectin in alpacas

The objective of this research was to evaluate comparative pharmacokinetics of doramectin in alpacas, after subcutaneous administration of 0.2 mg/kg dose. Six healthy adult alpacas, mean age of 5 years ± 1, (three female and three gelded males) of mean bodyweight of 62 kg ± 16 kg with an average body condition scored 2.8 ± 1 out of five, were used in this study. Serial blood samples were collected from the jugular vein before the administration until day 21 afterwards to establish the pharmacokinetics of doramectin after its subcutaneous administration at 0.2 mg/kg dose. The blood samples were analysed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), fluorescence detection method with precolumn derivatisation, validated for alpacas. The pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated using a noncompartmental model, and results showed Cmax (6.05 ± 5.34 ng/ml), Tmax (3.83 ± 2.48 days), AUC (62.12 ± 18.86 ng/ml × d), terminal half-life (6.2 ± 4.9 days) and MRT (11.56 ± 4.43 days). The results of this study showed that the Cmax and AUC were much lower than in cattle and sheep at the same dosage. Tmax remained similar to cattle and sheep. This study presents valuable information about pharmacokinetics of doramectin in alpacas, which can be utilised in its future efficacy studies.