Strategic control of cattle co-parasitized by tick, fly and gastrointestinal nematodes: Is it better to use ecto + endoparasiticide or just endectocide formulations?

Ticks, flies, and gastrointestinal helminths (GINs) significantly affect cattle productivity; thus, ectoparasiticide, endoparasiticide, and endectocide drugs have commonly been used for their control. The study aimed to compare the technical (parasites counts), productive, and financial effects of a treatment protocol comprising ecto- + endoparasiticides formulations (T01: fluazuron 2.5 mg/kg + fipronil 1.25 mg/kg and fenbendazole 5 mg/kg; n = 15) to a treatment with one formulation of endectocide (T02: ivermectin 450 µg/kg + abamectin 250 µg/kg; n = 15) over 308 days under field conditions in crossbred cattle co-parasitized by Rhipicephalus microplus, Haematobia irritans, and GINs. Bovine weight gain and return on investment (ROI) were also evaluated. Bovines from T01 received four treatments against the cattle tick and two against two GINs. For T02, four treatments were performed. Animals from T01 gained 15.4 kg more than T02 and provided a comparative ROI of 15.8. In cattle co-parasitized with R. microplus, H. irritans, and GINs, the treatment protocol used in this study with ecto- + endoparasiticidal action formulations showed better technical results regarding parasite counts and productive and financial data than the strategic treatment protocol using only an endectocide formulation.

Anthelmintic resistance in commercial sheep farms in Costa Rica.

Forty-eight commercial sheep farms were sampled between the years 2017 and 2019 to evaluate the percentage of reduction of the three families of broad-spectrum anthelmintic drugs available in Costa Rica - benzimidazoles (albendazole), macrocyclic lactones (ivermectin) and imidazothiazoles (levamisole) - in grazing animals by using the fecal egg count reduction test. Animals were selected based on their egg per gram counts after their fecal samples were processed by a modified McMaster technique. The remaining fecal samples were taken to the laboratory for fecal culture and larval identification. The prevalence of farms with albendazole resistance was 100%, ivermectin 96% and levamisole 17%. Seven (n = 47) farms resulted with triple resistance, 39 with double and 1 farm was resistant to 1 AH tested. Haemonchus spp. was the most commonly isolated parasite in pre- and post-treatment larval culture. This is the first report of Oesophagostomum spp. and Teladorsagia sp. resistant to albendazole, Oesophagostomum spp., Teladorsagia sp., Chabertia sp. and Cooperia sp. resistant to ivermectin, and the presence of strains of Haemonchus spp. and Trichostrongylus sp. resistant to the 3 anthelmintics tested. The results of this study demonstrate that anthelmintic resistance is widespread, particularly in Haemonchus spp., and that the major drugs available in the country have lost much of their effectiveness against sheep nematodes.

The effect of plant bioactive compounds on lamb performance, intake, gastrointestinal parasite burdens, and lipid peroxidation in muscle.

Plant extracts have been widely used in animal production systems due to the benefits promoted by their bioactive components, mainly through their antioxidant effects and positive effects on animal growth, health, and meat quality. We determined whether bioactive compounds (BC) from grape (Vitis vinifera), olive (Olea europaea), and pomegranate (Punica granatum) have beneficial effects on lamb growth while controlling gastrointestinal parasitism and reducing skeletal lipid peroxidation in muscle. Fourteen lambs (4 to 5 mo of age) were housed in individual pens and assigned to two treatment groups (seven animals/group), where they received: 1) a basal diet of beet pulp:soybean meal (90:10) (CONTROL) and 2) the same diet, but containing 0.3% of BC extracted from grape, olive, and pomegranate (BNP). After 21 d of consuming their respective rations (period 1), all lambs were dosed with 10,000 L3 stage larvae of Haemonchus contortus. Intake, production, and physiological parameters were determined before infection (period 1), after oral dosage with L3 (period 2), and during early (period 3) and later (period 4) developmental stages of infection. Groups of animals did not differ in their ration intake or average daily gain, either before or after the infection, or in their parasitic burdens estimated through fecal egg counts (P > 0.05). Lambs under BNP showed greater feed efficiency before infection (P < 0.001), but the pattern reversed after infection. In addition, the inclusion of plant bioactives to the diet did not have an effect (P > 0.05) on blood or lipid peroxidation in muscle or on hemogram, serum concentration of haptoglobin, and immunoglobulin E. These results could be explained by low dietary doses and constrained absorption or ruminal inactivation of these compounds. Changes in feed efficiencies suggest a negative interaction between BC in the diet and parasitism, which warrants further research.

In vitro effects of Musa x paradisiaca extracts on four developmental stages of Haemonchus contortus.

This study was carried out to evaluate the in vitro effect of Musa x paradisiaca stem and leaf against the parasitic nematode of small ruminants Haemonchus contortus. Three extracts (aqueous, methanolic and/or dichloromethane) of Musa x paradisiaca stem and leaf were tested in vitro on four developmental stages of H. contortus using egg hatch assay (EHA), larval development assay (LDA), L3 migration inhibition assay (LMI) and adult worm motility assay (AWM). The highly significant (P<0.0001) ability to stop larval development (inhibition >67% for each extract) and the negative effect of the dichloromethane extract of leaf on adult worm motility (43% of inhibition of motility after 24h of incubation) compared to the negative controls, suggest anthelmintic properties of Musa x paradisiaca stem and leaf against H. contortus. The active principles responsible for the activity could be secondary metabolites such as terpenoid and flavonoid compounds present in the leaf and stem of the plant.

Alho desidratado (Allium sativum L.) no controle de nematódeos gastrintestinais em bovinos naturalmente infectados

During 74 days, three groups of six Nelore weaned heifers, with natural mixing infections of gastro-intestinal nematodes, were housed separately and treated with 20, 10 and 0g animal-1 day-1 of dehydrated garlic added the ration. During all the experimental period no statistical difference (P>0.05) between treated and control groups was observed in egg per gram of faeces (EPG) and in relative percentage of infective larvae in the larval cultures.

Três grupos de seis bezerras da raça Nelore, desmamadas, com infecções mistas naturais de nematódeos gastrintestinais, foram estabuladas individualmente e tratadas, durante 74 dias, com 20, 10 e 0g animal-1dia-1 de alho desidratado adicionado a ração. Durante todo o período experimental não se observou diferença significativa entre os grupos tratados e controle no número de ovos por grama de fezes (OPG) (P>0,05) e na percentagem relativa de larvas infectantes nas coproculturas.

Alho desidratado (Allium sativum L.) no controle de nematódeos gastrintestinais em bovinos naturalmente infectados

During 74 days, three groups of six Nelore weaned heifers, with natural mixing infections of gastro-intestinal nematodes, were housed separately and treated with 20, 10 and 0g animal-1 day-1 of dehydrated garlic added the ration. During all the experimental period no statistical difference (P>0.05) between treated and control groups was observed in egg per gram of faeces (EPG) and in relative percentage of infective larvae in the larval cultures.

Três grupos de seis bezerras da raça Nelore, desmamadas, com infecções mistas naturais de nematódeos gastrintestinais, foram estabuladas individualmente e tratadas, durante 74 dias, com 20, 10 e 0g animal-1dia-1 de alho desidratado adicionado a ração. Durante todo o período experimental não se observou diferença significativa entre os grupos tratados e controle no número de ovos por grama de fezes (OPG) (P>0,05) e na percentagem relativa de larvas infectantes nas coproculturas.

Levantamento copro-parasitológico em bezerros leiteiros, no Município de Barra Mansa, RJ, através do diagnóstico de larvas de primeiro estágio de nematóides gastro-intestinais / Copro-parasitologic survey of dairy calves in Barra Mansa, RJ, municipality using the diagnostic first stage larvae of gastro-intestinal nematodes

Realizou-se um levantamento copro-parasitológico utilizando uma nova técnica para o diagnóstico de larvas de primeiro estágio de nematóides gastro-intestinais de bezerros no Município de Barra Mansa. Concluiu-se que larvas de Cooperia e Haemonchus são as mais prevalentes em bezerros e o número recuperado foi maior do que as outras espécies de nematóides. Haemonchus e Trychostrongylus foram as que tiveram maior frequência nas propriedades, enquanto que Bunostomum e Strongyloides obtiveram uma prevalência e frequência baixa em bezerros e propriedades, respectivamente.

A copro-parasitoligical survey were realized using the new technique for first stage gastro-intestinal nematodes larvae diagnostic in 110 calves, at Barra Mansa municipality. lt was concluded that Coopelia and Haemonchus larvae were lhe most prevalent and numerous in calves. Haemonchus and Trichostrongylus larvae were the most frequent in the farms while Bunostomum and Strongyloides were low prevalence and frequency in calves and farms, respectivelly.