Anthelmintic efficacy of an oral formulation of Aurixazol against gastrointestinal nematodes of naturally and experimentally infected sheep

As a result of the need to develop new active principles for the control of endoparasites in ruminants, the present in vivo study evaluated a formulation containing 24% Aurixazol (48 mg/kg), a parasiticide molecule based on disophenolate of levamisole. Two experiments were conducted: one evaluating the anthelmintic efficacy of 24% Aurixazol (48 mg/kg) against gastrointestinal nematodes in naturally infected sheep, compared to an association of ivermectin (0.2 mg/kg) + albendazole (5.0 mg/kg) + levamisole (7.5 mg/kg) (IAL), and a second one which evaluated the persistent efficacy of the same formulation against immature stages (L4) and adults of Haemonchus contortus in experimentally infected animals. In experiment I, against H. contortus, the formulation of Aurixazol and the IAL association reached efficacies (arithmetic means) of 99.32% and 96.11%, respectively. For Trichostrongylus colubriformis, the efficacy values were 88.92% and 98.08% for Aurixazol and the IAL association, respectively. Both formulations were totally effective against Oesophagostomum columbianum (100%). The results of the statistical analysis demonstrated that the mean parasitic burden of treated animals was significantly different (P ≤ 0.05) compared to the average number of helminths diagnosed in animals from the control group for H. contortus, T. colubriformis and O. columbianum. Comparing only the treated groups, it was possible to verify that the average number of H. contortus recovered from animals treated with Aurixazol was different (P ≤ 0.05) when compared to the mean amount recovered from sheep treated with the IAL association. When evaluating the prevention of H. contortus infection in experiment II, Aurixazol did not present preventive efficacy. Up until 21 days after treatment the groups treated with Aurixazol contained less adults and L4 of H. contortus (P ≤ 0.05) when compared to the non-medicated control group. However, future studies will be necessary to assess the effectiveness of Aurixazol against nematode strains resistant to levamisole and disophenol, but the efficacy results described in this study allow to state that Aurixazol can, associated with other measures, become an important tool in the control of sheep nematodes. © 2013.

Helmintos parasitos de mocós (Kerodon rupestris Wied, 1820), de vida livre e de cativeiro, criados no semi-árido nordestino

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Epidemiologia das infecções por nematódeos gatrintestinais em ovinos criados em Botucatu

Pós-graduação em Medicina Veterinária - FMVZ

Sustainable worm control practices in South America

A high prevalence of nematodes, especially Haemonchus contortus and Trichostrongylus colubriformis, that exhibit multiple anthelmintics resistance has been reported in sheep in several South American countries. For this reason, the development of strategies that are less dependent on anthelmintic treatments is imperative for the prophylaxis of gastrointestinal nematode infections in small ruminants. Integrated grazing using cattle and sheep can be used for pasture decontamination with considerable reduction of H. contortus and T. colubnformis infective larvae after cattle grazing. Several breeds of sheep exhibit genetically related resistance against nematode infections, as is the case of crioulo, native or naturalised breeds of sheep. These breeds descend from livestock introduced by Portuguese and Spanish settlers and have been submitted to a long process of natural selection in various environmental conditions. In the South, the Crioula Lanada breed is more resistant to H. contortus than are Corriedale sheep. In tropical areas, where the minimum temperatures are usually higher than 20 degrees C, hair sheep flourish, especially the Santa Ines breed, which also display a higher level of resistance to nematode infections compared with certain breeds of European origin. However, Santa Ines sheep have inferior carcass quality compared with other commercial breeds. Recent studies showed that the crossbreeding of Santa Ines ewes with sires of breeds with high potential for growth and meat production, results in crossbred animals with high productivity and a satisfactory degree of resistance against nematode infections. Several studies have indicated that improvement in nutrition has a beneficial effect on the development of resistance in lambs that were naturally or artificially infected with nematodes. Therefore, supplementary feeding and breeding strategies to improve resistance to nematodes are feasible options in the effort to reduce dependence on anthelmintic drugs to control worm infections in sheep. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fauna helmintológica de ovinos provenientes da microrregião de Jaboticabal, estado de São Paulo, Brasil

This study evaluated the prevalence and counting parasitism of different species of helminths of sheep from the micro-region of Jaboticabal of Sao Paulo state. For this, 66 animals naturally infected, four to 36 months of age, raised in pasture, were selected. The results of necropsy revealed the presence of seven genera and 12 species with the following prevalence and mean count: Haemonchus contortus: 100.0% (2947.2); Trichostrongylus colubriformis: 90.9% (3048.8); Cooperia curticei: 56.0% (256.5); Oesophagostomum columbianum: 48.4% (36.0); Cooperia punctata: 30.3% (94.5); Trichostrongylus axei: 22.7% (26.5); Strongyloides papillosus: 19.6% (83.0), Haemonchus contortus (L4): 7.5% (17.2), Cooperia pectinata: 10.6% (12.9), Trichuris ovis: 10.6 % (0.6); Cooperia spatulata 4.5% (0.3); Capillaria bovis: 4.5% (0.1). The mean parasitism of helminthswas 6524.7 per animal. Haemonchus contortus (adults and L4) and Trichostrongylus colubriformis corresponded to 45.4% and 46.7% of the average worm burden totally, respectively. Based in the results obtained in this study, can be concluded that the two most abundant species of helminths and important, the micro-region of Jaboticabal are Trichostrongylus colubriformis and Haemonchus contortus, and these two species amounted to 92.1% of the distribution percentage of helminths collected from all animals. These results demonstrate the importance of conducting a counts of eggs per gram of feces (EPG) in the herds of this region when FAMACHA is used on a particular property, since this method control does not allow to diagnostic the damage/clinical signs in animals infected by T. colubriformis, because this specie does not have hematophagism habit on animals.

Prevalência de nematódeos em ovinos (Ovis aries) pertencentes a diferentes microrregiões do estado de São Paulo, Brasil

Pós-graduação em Medicina Veterinária - FCAV

Gastrointestinal nematode infections in sheep raised in Botucatu, state of Sao Paulo, Brazil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Parasitism by Oestrus ovis: Influence of sheep breed and nematode infections

Previous studies showed that Santa Ines (SI) hair sheep were more resistant to gastrointestinal nematode infections (GIN) than Ile de France (IF) sheep. The present experiment aimed to evaluate if that reported resistance difference against GIN also occurred against Oestrus ovis infestation and also to evaluate the influence of O. ovis infestation on the gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) infections. SI (n = 12) and IF (n = 12) young male lambs were weaned at 2 months of age and moved to a paddock (0.3 ha) with Brachiaria decumbens grass, where they also received concentrate ration. The animals were kept together during the experimental period (September to early December 2009). Fecal and blood samples were taken from all animals every 2 weeks and body weight and nasal discharge score (oestrosis clinic signs) were recorded on the same occasion. In early December 2009, all lambs were sacrificed and O. ovis larvae and GIN were recovered, counted and identified according to the larval stage. All animals were infested by different larval instars of O. ovis without any statistical difference between breeds (P > 0.05). The SI lambs had an average of 24.8 larvae, and the intensity of infection ranged between 14 and 39 larvae, while the IF lambs showed an average of 23.5 larvae with the minimum and maximum from 11 to 36 larvae, respectively. SI lambs presented the lowest nematode fecal egg counts (FECs) and the lowest mean numbers of Haemonchus contort us, Trichostrongylus colubriformis and Strongyloides papillosus, however, there was no significant differences between group means (P > 0.05). Inverse relationship between numbers of O. ovis larvae and gastrointestinal nematodes was observed in both breeds. SI sheep showed a significant increase in blood eosinophils and total IgE serum levels and these variables were negatively correlated with nematode FEC. A negative correlation was observed between total IgE serum level and H. contortus burden in both breeds. In conclusion, there was no breed difference regarding O. ovis infestation and in each breed, animals with more nasal bot fly larvae tended to display smaller worm burden. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Infestação do homem por Trichostrongylus sp

Pela primeira vez foi diagnosticado pela morfologia da larva filarióide, o parasitismo humano por Trichostrongylus sp, em Santa Maria, RS.

Caracterización microecologica de nemátodos parásitos presentes en caprinos de zonas áridas de Venezuela

Se determinó que los caprinos de las zonas áridas de Venezuela son parasitados por lassiguientes especies de nemátodos: Haemonchus contortus, Trichostrongylus axei, T. colubriformis, Cooperia curticei, Oesophagostomun columbianum, Skrjabinema ovis y Trichuris globulosa. Los valores del índice de diversidad de Shannon-Weaver oscilaron entre 0,045 y 1,73 bits (X = 1,15 ± 0,24 bits). La diversidad máxima por mes presenta valores que van desde 1 a 2,80 bits (X = 2,49 ± 0,28 bits) y la equitabilidad varió de 0,045 a 0,67 (X = 0,44 ± 0,09). Los valores obtenidos con los datos agrupados en un solo bloque son de 1,25 bits, 2,80 bits y 0,40 para el índice de diversidad de Shannon-Weaver, la diversidad máxima y la equitabilidad respectivamente. En lo referente a las asociaciones parasitarias, se encontró un primer grupo conformado por T. axei, T. colubriformis y H. contortus, un segundo grupo por T. colubriformis, H. contortus y O. columbianum, y un tercero integrado por T. colubriformis, S. ovis y T. globulosa. Los resultados obtenidos permiten además, sugerir em torno al control químico que en los meses en los cuales el valor del índice de diversidad de Shannon-Weaver se aproxime al de la diversidad máxima y el del índice de equitabilidad se aproxime a la unidad, se pueden utilizar antihelmínticos de amplio espectro.

Infecções naturais em cervídeos (Mammalia: Cervidae) procedentes dos Estados do Mato Grosso do Sul e São Paulo, por nematódeos Trichostrongyloidea Cram, 1927

No período compreendido entre 1985 e 1996 foram necropsiados, para pesquisa de helmintos, 42 cervídeos, sendo sete Mazama americana, 16 M. gouazoubira, 13 Ozotoceros bezoarticus e seis Blastocerus dichotomus. Desses animais, foram colhidos 14.426 nematódeos Trichostrongyloidea, sendo 13.281 (92,06%) parasitos de abomaso e 1.145 (7,94%), de intestino delgado. Nesses órgãos, foram identificadas seis espécies de nematódeos: Haemonchus contortus, H. similis, Trichostrongylus axei, T. colubriformis, Cooperia punctata e C. pectinata. Todos os animais apresentaram infecções helmínticas por uma ou mais espécies, ocorrendo grande variação na intensidade de infecção (1 a 4.345 nematódeos). Ainda com relação à intensidade de infecção, os dados expressavam valores menores que 100 parasitos em 25 (59,52%) animais. Os valores mais altos de intensidade média das infecções foram observados em M. gouazoubira (596,37 helmintos) e em O. bezoarticus (331), e os menores, em M. americana (17,57) e B. dichotomus (75,5). Os dados mais expressivos de intensidade de infecção, abundância e prevalência foram observados para Haemonchus (larvas de 4º estágio), H. contortus, H. similis e T. axei. O gênero Haemonchus foi constatado em 35 animais, com prevalência de 83,33%; apresentou carga parasitária de 11.616 exemplares, representando 80,52% dos nematódeos verificados, sendo a maioria (8.903) constituída por formas imaturas. Por outro lado, H. similis foi a espécie predominante nas infecções e, portanto, a que apresentou maiores valores de abundância. Verificou-se o gênero Trichostrongylus em 24 (57,14%) animais, com carga parasitária de 2.444 exemplares, sendo 1.665 espécimes de T. axei, que representou 11,54% da carga parasitária obtida. As seis espécies de vermes identificadas nos cervídeos são comuns aos ruminantes domésticos nos Estados de São Paulo e Mato Grosso do Sul e dessa maneira não se observou nenhuma espécie de Trichostrongyloidea exclusiva dos cervídeos.

Host specificity of sheep and cattle nematodes in São Paulo state, Brazil

The trial was carried out to investigate parasite host specificity and to analyse the dynamics of infection with nematodes parasitizing sheep and catt:le raised together or separately in São Paulo state, Brazil, and, also to clarify doubts about the systematics of species of the genus Haemonchus on the basis of cytological and morphological studies. Ten steers and 32 ewes were randomly assigned to three paddocks (P), as follows: P1, 5 steers; P2, 5 steers and 16 ewes; and P3, 16 ewes. The animals remained on these paddocks in continuous grazing throughout the trial (1-yr period). Faecal exams and larvae counting on pasture were performed fortnightly. Once a month two tracer lambs were placed in each paddock, while two tracer calves were also placed, but only in the eighth month of the trial. All these animals were slaughtered for worm identification and counting. At the end of the trial, one steer and one ewe from P2, which showed high faecal egg counts, were also slaughtered for the same purpose. Nematodes identified cytogenetically as H. placei presented spicule hooks longer than those identified as H. contortus. The following distribution of parasites in cattle and sheep was observed: Bunostomum phlebotomum, H. similis, Mammomonogamus laryngeus strongly adapted to cattle, H. placei and Cooperia punctata more adapted to cattle than to sheep, Trichostrongylus axel and C. spatulata apparently more adapted to cattle, T. colubriformis strongly adapted to sheep, H. contortus more adapted to sheep than to cattle and C. curticei apparently more adapted to sheep. Cross-infection was shown to occur involving some species, however, with time the animals apparently eliminate the species that are not well adapted to them. Therefore, grazing management systems using cattle and sheep appear to be promising for worm control in southeastern Brazil. (C) 1997 Elsevier B.V. B.V.

Efficacy of the nematode-trapping fungus Duddingtonia flagrans against infections by Haemonchus and Trichostrongylus species in lambs at pasture

The efficacy of the nematode-trapping fungus Duddingtonia flagrans against infections by trichostrongyle nematodes in sheep was assessed throughout 6 months. Twenty Ile de France lambs were divided into two groups (control and treated groups), which were kept in separate pastures. Animals of the treated group were fed with D. flagrans twice a week (Tuesdays and Fridays). Pellets were prepared with the fungus mycelia in liquid culture medium and contained approximately 20% fungus. They were mixed with the animals' diet at a concentration of 1 g pellet per 10 kg live weight. Faecal egg counts (FEC), packed cell volume (PCV), total serum protein and the animals' body weight were determined fortnightly from 7 October 2005 to 24 March 2006. Comparison of such parameters between groups showed no significant differences (P > 0.05), except on 10 February 2006, when the control group presented a higher mean FEC than the treated group (P < 0.05). Feeding sheep with pellets containing D. flagrans had no benefit to the prophylaxis of nematode infections under the experimental conditions used in the present study.

A preliminary investigation on the gastrointestinal helminths of the Barbados green monkey, Cercopithecus aethiops sabaeus

Faecal samples were collected from fifty three freshly captured monkeys which were kept at the Barbados Primate Research Centre and Wildlife Reserve (BPRCWR). Examination of these samples for gastrointestinal helminths using the zinc sulphate floatation method revealed an overall infection rate of 88.7%.The parasites observed included Strongyloides (62.4%), Physaloptera (58.5%), Trichuris (52.8%), Hookworm (34.0%), Oesophagostomum (30.2%), Trichostrongylus (3.8%) and Ascaris (5.7%). No significant differences in overall prevalence were observed according to sex or age. Polyparasitism appeared to be common as it was observed in 92.5% of all monkeys examined. It is concluded that these monkeys could act as reservoirs of some of the parasites which can infect man.