Controlled evaluation of fenbendazole as a bovine anthelmintic

Calves experimentally infected with Haemonchus, Ostertagia, and Cooperia, and to lesser degrees with Trichostrongylus, Oesophagostomum, Nematodirus, and Bunostomum were used in a controlled experiment to record the anthelmintic efficacy of a benzimidazole compound methyl 5-(phenylthio)-2-benzimidazolecarbamate at dosage levels of 3.5, 5, and 7.5 mg/kg bodyweight. With the 3 dosages, reductions of Haemonchus were 96.7, 99.2, and 99.8%; of Ostertagia, 97.2, 97.2, and 99.5%; and of Cooperia, 99.9, 99.9, and 99.9%. Pronounced reductions were also recorded for Trichostrongylus, Nematodirus, Oesophagostomum, Trichuris, and Capillaria, but these populations were too numerically small or too unevenly distributed within the control groups to be given much emphasis. The experimental parasitic populations which developed in the 10 control calves amounted to 91, 763 worms (total).

Efficacy of p-Toluoyl chloride phenylhydrazone against gastrointestinal helminths in ovines

A new anthelmintic candidate, p-toluoyl chloride phenlylhydrazone, was administered to lambs in a paste formulation. The efficacy of this drug was determined at dose rates of 20, 30, 40, and 50 mg of active ingredient per kilogram of body weight. Helminths expelled by these dosages included Haemonchus contortus, Ostertagia circumcicta, Trichostrongylus colubriformis, T. axei, Nematodirus filicollis, Cooperia curticei, Strongyloides papillosus, Oesophagostomum columbianum, Bunostomum trigoncephalum, Chabertia ovina, Moniezia expansa, and M. benedeni.

Laboratory investigations on pigs with the new anthelmintic fenbendazole

The efficacy of fenbendazole was investigated in piglets infected artificially with Hyostrongylus rubidus and Oesophagostomum spp. After administration of 3.5 mg/kg, five-day-old stages of H rubidus were reduced by 72.5 per cent; an effect of 78.4 per cent, 96.0 per cent and 100 per cent was achieved against five-day-old, 16-day-old and 42-day-old stages, respectively, of H rubidus using a dose of 5 mg/kg. A 55 per cent effect was obtained against five-day-old stages after the administration of 3.5 mg/kg. A dose of 5 mg/kg reduced five-day-old, 16-day-old and 42-day-old stages of Oesophagotomum spp by 72.6 per cent, 44 per cent and 100 per cent respectively.

Laboratory investigations in sheep with a new anthelmintic

The efficacy of fenbendazole against the following gastrointestinal nematodes was tested in experimentally infected lambs: O circumcincta, H contortus, T colubriformis and N filicollis. As low a dose as 0.5 mg per kg reduced the egg output of a patent infection with H contortus and T colubriformis by 85 per cent to 100 per cent. A dose of 3.5 mg per kg has a 100 per cent effect on three or 10-day-old stages of H contortus and one of more than 99 per cent or 100 per cent T colubriformis. The same dose reduces seven-day-old stages of O circumcincta and N filicollis by more than 94 per cent or 100 per cent, while 10 mg per kg produces a 100 per cent elimination of seven-day-old stages of O circumcincta. In field trials and efficacy of more than 99 per cent was determined after oral dosage with 5.0 mg per kg against Ostertagia, Haemonchus, Trichostrongylus, Cooperia, Nematodirus and Chabertia. Fenbendazole has a wide therapeutic-toxic dose ratio. Discoloration of the wool does not occur. Fenbendazole can be administered as a drench or with the feed.

The anthelmintic efficacy of fenbendazole against a mixed nematode infection in sheep

Fenbendazole (methyl-5-(phenylthio)-2-benzimidazole carbamate) at dose rates of 5 mg/kg and above was 100 per cent effective in eliminating a naturally acquired Dictyocaulus filaria infection in sheep. The drug was 100 per cent effective in eliminating concurrent infections of adult Trichostrongylus axei, Haemonchus contortus, Haemonchus placei, Ostertagia circumcincta, Ostertagia ostertagii, Cooperia oncophora, Cooperia mcmasterii, Nematodirus spathiger, Neumatodirus filcollis, Oesophagostomum venulosum and Chabertia ovina. Fenbendazole was 93 per cent and 97 per cent effective at doses of 5 and 10 mg/kg respectively in removing infection with adult T colubriformis, and post-treatment worm-egg production was completely suppressed in surviving female worms. No adverse side-effects were observed in treated sheep at either of the two dose rates used.

The effect of fenbendazole on nematode parasites in experimentally infected lambs

Fenbendazole given orally to experimentally infected lambs at a dose rate of 5 mg per kg was found to be 100 per cent effective against three and 10-day larave and also against 20-day adults of H contortus, O circumcincta, N battus and T colubriformis. The same dose was also 100 per cent effective against 10-day, 17-day larvae and 27-day adult D filaria.

Treatment of crenosomiasis in dogs

Dogs were infected with the lungworm Crenosoma vulpis. The efficacy of four drugs in the treatment of the disease was examined using a controlled test. Levamisole and diethylcarbamazine proved to be highly effective.

Anthelmintic efficiency related to strategic control schemes for helminthiasis in sheep

A comparison was made of the effects on worm egg output from groups of sheep treated with either thiabendazole or levamisole at 3 dose rates in different weight categories of weaned lambs. Neither thiabendazole at 79.8 mg/kg nor levamisol at 12.8 mg/kg completely prevented worm egg output by treated sheep. Over all dose rates thiabendazole was significantly more effective than levamisole. The data indicated that dose rates may need to be increased for use in strategic control schemes for helminthiasis.

Experimental infections with Trichostrongylus colubriformis (Giles, 1892) Loos, 1905 in lambs: worm burden, growth rate and host resistance resulting from prolonged escalating infections

Lambs were infected at daily intervals from 3 weeks of age with increasing doses of infective larvae of Trichostrongylus colubriformis, according to an exponential infection schedule designed to simulate the pattern of infection experienced by grazing lambs during the spring and early summer in Britain. The faecal egg counts and the worm burdens in the lambs followed a similar exponential trend for 12 weeks after initial infection.

The T. colubriformis burdens in these lambs appeared to be cumulative during the first 12 weeks, after which the animals developed a resistance to further reinfection, which was very strong by 16 weeks after initial infection. However, even lambs which were refractory to new infection continued to harbour large numbers of adult worms, which caused clinical disease in most of the lambs.

There was no evidence to suggest that either a turnover of the worm burden, inhibition of larval development or the sudden loss of established parasites played any major role in the regulation of the burdens of T. colubriformis in these young lambs.

The removal of the established burden 16 weeks after initial infection in one lamb appeared to result in a partial loss of resistance to a challenge infection given 10 days later.

The effects of anthelmintic treatments on the development of gastrointestinal parasitism in calves

Fortnightly treatment of susceptible calves with 1-tetramisole during the first two months of continuous exposure to pastures residually heavily-infected with Ostertagia ostertagi, Cooperia oncophora and Nematodirus helvetianus did not prevent the development of clinical parasitic gastroenteritis, although the infections were not as severe as in nontreated calves. Development of resistance in treated calves was manifested by significantly smaller numbers of Cooperia eggs in utero (which were reflected by reduced fecal egg counts) and by significantly smaller Nematodirus worm burdens than in susceptible calves that commenced grazing coincident with cessation of treatment. The findings also indicated that resistance to Nematodirus helvetianus was slower in developing in treated than in nontreated infected calves.

Studies on the role of histamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine in immunity against the nematode Trichostrongylus colubriformis. I. In vivo and in vitro effects of the amines

Infusion of solutions of histamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine into the small intestine of guinea pigs during the fourth larval stage of a primary infection with the nematode <i>Trichostrongylus colubriformis </i>led to significant worm expulsion. Incubation of fourth stage larvae with 5-hydroxytryptamine significantly reduced their excretion of the metabolic end product propionic acid. These results support the hypothesis that histamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine are involved in the expulsion of <i>T.</i><i>colubriformis </i>by immune guinea pigs.

Nippostrongylus brasiliensis: observations on the comparative immunogenicity of adult worms from primary and immune-adapted infections

A comparison was made of the immunogenicity of normal worms, derived from a primary infection, and immune-adapted worms, derived from a trickle infection, after surgical transfer into previously uninfected rats. Exposure to 300 normal worms for 2 days was sufficient to induce resistance to challenge infection 3 weeks later in four of eight rats. The immune-adapted worms were, however, significantly less immunogenic, only one rat in ten developing resistance to challenge after 21 days exposure to 300 worms. These results offer further evidence that the protective antigens produced by normal worms are in some way altered in adapted worms, so that adapted worms have a reduced immunogenicity.