ABSTRACT
A solid formulation of a potent anthelmintic macrocyclic lactone, moxidectin, was administered using a non-degradable delivery device to discharge the agent into the subcutaneous tissues of sheep. In vivo release was monitored in sheep indirectly using faecal egg counts. Using a dose of 0.2 mg moxidectin/kg body weight when applied in the form of a solid pellet, protection of sheep against Haemonchus contortus challenge was conferred to a level greater than that of sheep which received Cydectin, the commercial liquid injectable form delivered at the same dosage. The anthelmintic efficacy of the solid formulation was assessed at four dosage levels in sheep and it was demonstrated that the dosage of anthelmintic agent could be reduced to 1/6 of the present recommended injectable dose. When two pellets containing the recommended dose of moxidectin were loaded into a non-degradable delivery device, the period of H. contortus control was extended from 42 to 183 days. Antibody levels of sheep receiving repeated infections of H. contortus L3 larvae and treated with moxidectin-loaded devices were reduced significantly compared to the levels observed in sheep treated with Cydectin (p < 0.0005). This implies that the group treated with the moxidectin-loaded devices was exposed to a reduced antigenic load compared to sheep treated with placebo devices, and sheep treated with Cydectin. The antibody levels generated in the sheep treated with placebo devices were no different to those treated with Cydectin. Application of this sustained release device may allow the control of nematode diseases in livestock throughout an entire season with a single administration.
