Prevalence of Dirofilaria immitis in cats in Japan.

The prevalence of Dirofilaria immitis in cats in Japan has been examined since 1957. Twenty surveys involving a total of 3775 cats, conducted in two islands of Japan (Honshu and Kyushu), were studied. The surveys evaluated both stray (3617) and house (158) cats. Presence of D. immitis was detected at necropsy. The results show a prevalence of D. immitis varying from 0.5 to 9.5% for stray cats and from 3.0 to 5.2% for house cats on the two islands.

Colonisation and degradation of dung pats after subcutaneous treatment of cattle with ivermectin or levamisole.

The fauna and degradation of dung pats from cattle treated with ivermectin or levamisole were examined in a field study conducted in southern Germany. Four groups of seven cattle each grazed on four paddocks. The cattle were treated subcutaneously with ivermectin (0.2 mg/kg) or levamisole (5 mg/kg) 3, 8 and 13 weeks after turnout. A total of 300 pats voided naturally before the first and third treatment and 3, 7, 14 and 28 days after treatment were evaluated. Half of them were used as sampling pats, in which adult and immature Coleoptera, larvae of Diptera and soil and dung nematodes were counted. Earthworms were weighed in samples taken on 8 occasions within 63 days after pat deposition. Dung degradation was investigated using 150 observation pats by measuring surface area, weight and organic matter content on six occasions within 63 days from deposition. A photographic record was also maintained. There was no difference between treatment groups as to the range of Coleoptera, nematodes and earthworms collected from the pats. No quantitative differences between groups were seen regarding the total number of adult and immature dung beetles, soil nematodes and earthworms isolated within 63 days after deposition. Populations of Diptera larvae in pats voided up to 28 days after treatment were reduced for the ivermectin treated group relative to the levamisole group. There were reductions in numbers of dung specific nematodes in pats from both groups and some species were reduced in pats deposited 3, 7, and to a lesser extent, 14 days after treatment for the ivermectin group compared with pats from the levamisole group. These effects on dung fauna had no impact on dung degradation. The results of serial measurement of pat area, photographic evaluation, and determination of remaining dung weight and organic matter showed no difference between treatment group.

The degradation of dung produced by cattle treated with an ivermectin slow-release bolus.

Eight female calves of the Deutsches Fleckvieh breed, weighing 161-207 kg, were each treated at turnout on 16 May 1989 with one ivermectin sustained-release intraruminal bolus designed to release ivermectin at 12 mg day-1 for approximately 120 days. Eight animals remained as untreated controls. A third group of eight unmedicated tracer calves was not considered as part of this evaluation. All 24 animals grazed together on a single pasture throughout the study. On Days 21/22, 70 and 119, 15 faecal pats were selected from each treatment group and ranked according to surface area; within each group of three consecutively ranked pairs of pats, two pairs were randomly allocated as observation pats and the third as a sampling pat. The surface area of observation pats was measured, photographs taken, and dry matter, crude ash and organic matter determined at various intervals following deposition. A 1/4 sample collected from sampling pats 3, 7, 14 and 28 days after deposition was weighed and examined for Coleoptera (adults and larvae), Diptera larvae and nematodes. No differences between groups were seen in respect of organic matter content, numbers or frequency of adult Coleoptera species and soil nematodes. A decrease in numbers of Coleoptera larvae, Diptera larvae and dung-specific nematodes was observed in pats from ivermectin-treated cattle. Based on the evaluation of the surface area, a delay in the degradation rate of pats from treated compared with those from untreated animals was seen; however, the difference was statistically not significant (P > 0.05).

Efficacy of ivermectin against Dermatobia hominis in cattle.

Dermatobia hominis, the tropical warble fly, is one of the most important ectoparasites of cattle in Latin America. The results of five trials conducted in Paraguay, Brazil and Colombia showed that ivermectin administered subcutaneously at a dose level of 200 mcg/kg body weight was highly effective against the three larval stages of D. hominis in cattle.

Efficacy of ivermectin against the abomasal nematode mecistocirrus digitatus in naturally infected zebu calves.

Anthelmintic efficacy of ivermectin against Mecistocirrus digitatus was evaluated in 10 naturally infected zebu calves. Group 1 (n = 5) was not treated, and group 2 (n = 5) was treated SC with 200 micrograms of ivermectin/kg of body weight. Calves were euthanatized 14 or 15 days after treatment. There was 100% overall reduction of M digitatus in treated calves, which was significant (P = 0.0079) compared with reduction in controls. Cooperia punctata, Haemonchus similis, and Trichostrongylus axei were found in controls. Efficacy against these parasites in treated calves was 100%.

The history of scabies in veterinary and human medicine from biblical to modern times.

For many centuries a host of naturalists, savants, physicians and veterinarians have tried to unravel the etiology of scabies in humans and animals and to discover effective remedies to control it. After many attempts, success was achieved in the discovery of the parasitic etiology of the disease in the 15th century. Also, major advances with regard to the treatment of the disease were made during the 19th and 20th centuries. Today the prevalence of epidemic scabies in humans has diminished; on the other hand, good progress in the control of mange of livestock has been made only in a few countries including Australia, New Zealand and the U.S.A.

Arprinocoid evaluation in broiler chicken pen trials in Europe.

The effect of arpinocid (9-[2-chloro-6-fluorophenyl)methyl]-9H-purin-6-amine) on artificial and natural coccidial infections in broiler chickens was evaluated in a series of pen trials conducted in England, France, and Germany. In trials with induced infections, mortality attributable to coccidiosis did not occur at 50, 60, and 70 ppm although it ranged from 3.2 to 9% in unmedicated groups. At 7 to 8 weeks of age, birds receiving arprinocoid in feed at levels of 40, 50, 60, and 70 ppm had improved body weights and feed conversion compared with unmedicated birds, the differences being significant (P is less than .05) in 4 out of 5 trials. Productivity of birds on arprinocid was equivalent or significantly superior (P is less than 0.5) to those on halofuginone (3 ppm), monensin (100 ppm), nicarbazin (125 ppm), and PANCOXIN (165 ppm). Based on the results of these pen trials, arprinocid at levels of 50 to 70 ppm in feed is a highly efficacious compound for the prophylaxis of coccidiosis, preventing mortality, and permitting good growth and feed conversion under conditions of both mild and severe infection pressure.