Evidence of Ivermectin Resistance by Parascaris equorum on a Texas Horse Farm

By collecting fecal samples every 2 weeks beginning at 2 months of age, 32 foals from a single Texas farm were monitored. The foals were administered ivermectin paste at the time of the first collection and again monthly. When foals had Parascaris egg counts higher 2 weeks after ivermectin treatment than at treatment, they were administered pyrantel pamoate at the manufacturer's recommended dose (6.6 mg/kg) or at twice the recommended dose (13.2 mg/ kg) when tapeworm eggs were also detected. An elevation or only minimal reduction (less than 75%) in Parascaris egg counts was seen 2 weeks after ivermectin treatment until the foals were 8 months of age, at which time there was an 85% reduction in fecal egg count after treatment. When pyrantel was administered at the manufacturer's recommended dose, a 42% to 84% reduction in egg counts occurred, but at 13.2 mg/kg there was a 98% to 100% reduction in fecal egg counts 2 weeks posttreatment. However, pyrantel failed to control strongylate egg counts even at the elevated dose, whereas ivermectin reduced strongylate fecal egg counts by greater than 99%, determined 2 weeks posttreatment. Pyrantel, but not ivermectin, lowered Parascaris egg counts. Ivermectin, but not pyrantel, lowered strongyle egg counts 2 weeks post administration. A single drug for all ages of horses approach to parasite control requires rethinking. Combinations of drugs or more careful evaluation of anthelmintics in foals may be necessary for continued parasite control.     

Efficacy of Daily Pyrantel Tartrate (Strongid C) against Strongyles in Ponies on Pasture

A clinical trial was conducted with 2- to 3-year-old ponies to determine the effectiveness against strongyles of 2.64 mg pyrantel tartrate/kg body weight administered in the daily ration throughout a pasture season in Canada. Ten ponies were given the anthelmintic, and 10 were not treated and served as controls. Each group of ponies was on a separate pasture. The mean strongyle eggs/g of feces for each group, before treatment and turnout to pasture, was greater than 2,200. Thereafter, the mean eggs/g feces for the untreated group remained high (1,405−2,294) and those for the treated group decreased markedly to, and remained at, very low levels (0.2−16.8). Strongyle larval counts for the pasture with the untreated ponies rose to 26,790 larvae/kg dry herbage in August, whereas that for the treated group was 610 larvae/kg dry herbage. At the end of the season, two ponies from each group were isolated for 6 weeks and necropsied. The mean number of strongyles in the untreated and treated ponies was 69,288 and 8,452.5, respectively. In the untreated ponies, 21 species of strongyles were found, and approximately 84% of them were from eight species of cyathostomes. In the treated ponies, 14 species of strongyles were found, and approximately 77% were from one species, Cylicostephanus minutus (52.0%), and immature cythostomes (25%). Adverse reactions were not observed in any of the treated ponies. Pyrantel tartrate was highly effective in significantly reducing the strongyle egg and pasture larval counts and the transmission of strongyles during a pasture season.     

Occurrence of anthelmintic resistant equine cyathostome populations in central and southern Italy

In the present survey, 276 horses bred on 16 farms located in central and southern Italy were investigated for the presence of drug resistant cyathostomes by a Fecal Egg Count Reduction Test (FECRT). Sixteen to 20 animals were selected on each farm and randomly assigned to one of four equally sized treatment groups. Groups were treated with fenbendazole, pyrantel pamoate, ivermectin or moxidectin. Resistance to fenbendazole was declared on six farms (37.5%) and suspected in two farms (12.5%), with FECR values ranging from 41% to 88.3%. Resistance to pyrantel was found in two farms (12.5%) and was suspected in one case (6.2%), with FECR values ranging from 43% to 85.4%. Macrocyclic lactones remained effective on all farms. Only cyathostome third stage larvae (L3) were found in fecal cultures after treatment. This paper reports the first wide survey conducted in Italy for anthelmintic resistance in equine cyathostomes. The results indicate that multiple drug resistant equine cyathostomes are present in the central and southern regions of Italy. These data call for a geographically and numerically broader investigation of horse farms in all regions and for the development and implementation -among veterinarians, owners and managers of a plan to reduce the expansion of these anthelmintic resistant populations and control these important parasites.     

A combination treatment strategy using pyrantel pamoate and oxibendazole demonstrates additive effects for controlling equine cyathostomins

Anthelmintics of the avermectin/milbemycin class continue to demonstrate the highest efficacy against cyathostomin nematodes; however, over‐reliance on these drugs is increasing the likelihood that recent emerging resistance to these drugs will worsen. Use of benzimidazole and pyrantel compounds given concurrently may provide sufficiently high efficacy to serve as a viable treatment alternative to the avermectin/milbemycin drugs, thus reducing the selective pressures for resistance development. The study was conducted to determine if oxibendazole (OBZ) and pyrantel pamoate (PYR) would have greater efficacy when used in combination vs. what either drug could achieve individually, and to determine if the combination protocol would consistently achieve faecal egg count reduction (FECR) rates >90%, the general threshold for acceptable efficacy. Horses of various ages and breeds on 11 horse farms were assigned randomly to treatment with OBZ (n = 34), PYR (n = 35), or a combination of both (n = 61). A faecal egg count was performed for each horse prior to treatment and 9–14 days post treatment. Mean FECR percentages were calculated for each treatment group on individual farms, and for each treatment group across all farms. Combination treatment achieved >90% mean FECR on all 11 farms, and >95% on 9 of the 11 farms. Overall arithmetic mean FECR rates were 90.03%, 81.10% and 96.35% for horses treated respectively with OBZ, PYR, and the 2 drugs in combination. Combination treatment with OBZ and PYR demonstrated an additive effect whereby horses given both anthelmintics concurrently had mean FECR percentages that were significantly greater than in horses given either drug alone. Combination treatment with OBZ and PYR can be an efficacious and viable treatment choice for controlling cyathostomins, thereby reducing the over‐reliance on avermectin/milbemycin drugs.