Persistent efficacy of topical eprinomectin against nematode parasites in cattle

Six studies were conducted to evaluate the persistent efficacy of eprinomectin pour-on against experimental challenges with infective nematode larvae in calves. In each study, calves were randomly assigned to one untreated group and up to four test groups, which were treated with eprinomectin at 500 microg/kg body weight at weekly intervals before single bolus challenge. The calves were necropsied approximately 4 weeks after challenge infection for nematode recovery. Eprinomectin pour-on provided > or =90% efficacy against challenge with Haemonchus placei, Trichostrongylus axei and T. colubriformis at 21 days after treatment and against Cooperia oncophora, C. punctata, C. surnabada, Dictyocaulus viviparus, Nematodirus helvetianus, Oesophagostomum radiatum and Ostertagia ostertagi at 28 days after treatment.

Treatment and prophylaxis of psoroptic mange (sheep scab) using an ivermectin intraruminal controlled-release bolus for sheep

In an experiment to determine the therapeutic efficacy of an ivermectin intraruminal controlled-release (CR) bolus, 14 mixed breed sheep of one lot were infested with Psoroptes ovis and subsequently divided into two groups of seven. In one of these groups each sheep received one ivermectin CR bolus appropriate to its weight, the other group remained as an untreated control. All mites were eliminated from the group receiving the bolus while the control group remained infested, the disease progressed, and all but one sheep required treatment for psoroptic mange before the end of the experimental period. A second lot of 14 sheep, free from P. ovis, were divided equally into two groups to determine the prophylactic efficacy of the ivermectin CR bolus. In one group, each sheep was given an ivermectin CR bolus according to body weight and the sheep in the other group received no medication and served as untreated controls. Twenty-one days later two sheep infested with psoroptic mange were introduced into each of the groups. These donor sheep were removed 10 days later. The group treated with the ivermectin CR bolus remained mange-free and did not harbour any mites. All of the sheep in the control group developed psoroptic mange and required treatment to control the infestation at the end of the experimental period. Sheep that received the ivermectin CR bolus had greater mean weight gains than the control groups in these experiments. The ivermectin CR bolus releases a minimum dose of 20 microg ivermectin kg/day for 100 days: this prolonged activity should prove a valuable asset for the treatment and control of psoroptic mange in sheep.

A review of the use of a controlled-release formulation of ivermectin in the treatment and prophylaxis of Psoroptes ovis infestations in sheep

The options for the treatment and control of sheep scab (psoroptic mange) have been increased in recent years through the introduction of the endectocides ivermectin, doramectin and moxidectin. Whilst therapeutic efficacy is good, the current injectable formulations offer limited protection against re-infestation with Psoroptes ovis. An intraruminal controlled-release formulation of ivermectin has been developed to provide therapeutic and prophylactic activity against a range of sensitive endo- and ecto-parasites of sheep for 100 days after administration. These ivermectin boluses are designed to release ivermectin at 20-40 microg/kg/day over 100 days and were developed for use in sheep of 20-90 kg bodyweight. Several controlled therapeutic and prophylactic trials against sheep scab have been conducted under a variety of protocols with such boluses in Europe and South America. The results of these studies indicate that the bolus provides 100% therapeutic efficacy against established P. ovis infestations and equivalent prophylactic efficacy against challenge infestations administered during the active life of the bolus.

The efficacy of eprinomectin against induced infections of immature (fourth larval stage) and adult nematode parasites in cattle

Eprinomectin is a new endectocide of the avermectin chemical group developed for use in cattle. To establish its effectiveness against Cooperia spp., Dictyocaulus viviparus, Haemonchus contortus, Nematodirus helvetianus, Oesophagostomum radiatum, Ostertagia ostertagi, Trichostrongylus axei and Trichostrongylus colubriformis (immature infections only), six trials were conducted in Europe at two trial sites. In each trial, animals were artificially infected with a number of nematode species and treated with eprinomectin. In three trials, the nematodes were expected to be at the fourth larval stage of development at the time of treatment, and at the adult stage at the time of treatment in the other three trials. When compared with the untreated control groups, efficacy against the adult and immature nematode infections was > 99% for all the nematode species examined. There was no difference in efficacy between groups of animals with clipped hair at the application site, and those with long hair. Subsequent examination of the application sites, both visual and by palpation, showed no gross reactions to the applied treatments.

Effect of simulated rain, coat length and exposure to natural climatic conditions on the efficacy of a topical formulation of eprinomectin against endoparasites of cattle

A series of five controlled studies involving 114 cattle were conducted in Australia, North America and the United Kingdom to examine the effect of simulated rain, coat length and exposure to natural climatic conditions, on the efficacy of a topical formulation of eprinomectin against nematode parasites of cattle. In all trials infections were induced with a range of bovine nematode species and treatment was applied when the majority of nematodes were mature. In one study, simulated rain was applied to cattle ending one hour before treatment or beginning one, three or six hours after treatment. In a second study cattle had short (1 cm) or long (3-6 cm) haircoats at the time of treatment. Three other studies were conducted using cattle housed indoors or exposed to various natural climatic conditions. Nematode counts were determined using standard techniques and the efficacy of treatment was assessed relative to vehicle-treated controls. Regardless of the timing of simulated rain relative to treatment, eprinomectin was at least 99.9% effective (P < 0.01) against Haemonchus placei, Ostertagia ostertagi. Trichostrongylus axei and Cooperia spp. There were also no differences (p > 0.10) in efficacy between treatment administered to dry or wet cattle, or treatment administered before or after simulated rainfall. Efficacies against O. ostertagi, T. axei, Cooperia ancophora and Dictyocaulus viviparus were > 99.5% (p < 0.01) regardless of the length of the haircoat at the application site. Exposure of treated cattle to sunshine and precipitation had no effect on anthelmintic efficacy (p > 0.10) with efficacies of greater than 99.5% being maintained against H. placei, O. ostertagi (adult and fourth-stage larvae), T. axei, Cooperia spp., Nematodirus helvetianus (adult and inhibited fourth-stage larvae) and Oesophagostomum radiatum. These findings indicate that eprinomectin (500 micrograms/kg) in a topical formulation is a safe and highly effective nematocide for cattle regardless of their coat length and this high level of efficacy is maintained in cattle exposed to a wide variety of climatic conditions.

Therapeutic and prophylactic efficacy of the Ivomec SR Bolus against nematodes and Psoroptes ovis in cattle weighing more than 300 kg at the time of treatment

Three trials using 50 European breed cattle were conducted to evaluate the therapeutic and prophylactic efficacy of the Ivomec SR Bolus against nematodes (2 trials) and Psoroptes ovis (1 trial) in cattle weighing more than 300 kg at the time of treatment. The Ivomec SR Bolus proved to be highly effective against economically important gastrointestinal and pulmonary nematodes (Ostertagia ostertagi, Trichostrongylus axei, Cooperia punctata, Oesophagostomum radiatum, Dictyocaulus viviparus) and improved the rate of weight gain significantly. P. ovis was eliminated from cattle treated with an Ivomec SR Bolus. The treatment also provided prophylaxis against an infestation of P. ovis and increased the weight gain of cattle infested with P. ovis.

Efficacy of abamectin against nematodes in cattle

Eight controlled trials were conducted, using 96 cattle of European breeds, to evaluate the efficacy of abamectin against natural and artificially acquired infections of adult and fourth-stage larvae of all the economically important gastrointestinal nematodes and lungworms in Germany and the United Kingdom. Half the animals were treated on one occasion with abamectin at a dose of 200 micrograms/kg bodyweight given subcutaneously while the other half remained untreated. Worms were counted 14 or 21 days after treatment or 28 days after the last infection. The treatment was highly effective (> 99 to 100 per cent) (P < 0.05) at removing immature (L4) stages and adult worms of the following species: Ostertagia ostertagi (inhibited larvae included), Trichostrongylus axei, Haemonchus contortus, Bunostomum phlebotomum, Cooperia species Oesophagostomum radiatum and Dictyocaulus viviparus. Naturally acquired adult C surnabada and Trichuris discolor infections were also significantly (P < 0.05) reduced. For Nematodirus helvetianus the efficacy varied from 89.8 to > 99 per cent (P > 0.1 to < 0.01). Abamectin gave full protection against the gastrointestinal nematodes O ostertagi, H contortus, Cooperia species and O radiatum for at least seven days and against the lungworm D viviparus for at least 14 days after treatment.

The relationship between appetite and plasma non-esterified fatty acid levels in housed calves

Non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) levels in housed, 3-month-old calves were monitored in two experiments designed to establish (i) the effect of diet and time of sampling in relation to feeding on blood levels; and (ii) the relationship between appetite and plasma NEFA in animals on chopped hay. In the first experiment, a significant drop in NEFA levels was recorded after feeding. Furthermore, the NEFA levels of calves maintained on concentrate were significantly lower than those on hay throughout the post-feeding period. In the second study, a significant negative correlation was established between NEFA levels and intake of chopped hay in (i) ad-lib-fed calves infected with the abomasal nematode Ostertagia ostertagi; (ii) worm-free animals pair-fed with those in group (i); and (iii) ad-lib-fed worm-free calves. Regression analysis of raw and transformed data from all three groups combined also yielded significant correlations. It is suggested that the measurement of blood NEFA may be a useful indirect indicator of feed intake in conditioned housed calves offered hay diets.

Ostertagia ostertagi infection in the calf: effects of a trickle challenge on the hormonal control of digestive and metabolic function

Metabolic effects of a trickle challenge with the equivalent of 10,000 infective Ostertagia ostertagi larvae per day were investigated in 12 calves allocated to infected, pair-fed control or ad libitum-fed control groups. Changes in hormone levels reflecting abomasal, pituitary and pancreatic function were monitored using radioimmunoassay techniques previously validated for use in cattle. A range of metabolic profile parameters and blood metabolites was also measured. Feed intake of the infected calves began to decline as blood gastrin and pepsinogen levels reached a peak. The depression in appetite recorded in this group was responsible for significant increases in plasma urea and non-esterified fatty acid levels and associated with an increase in growth hormone/insulin ratio. No significant difference in glucagon levels was recorded between groups. A decline in blood albumin values was also shown in the infected group and associated with a drop in nitrogen digestibility. A significant depression in circulating calcium levels was related to either the hypoalbuminaemia or impaired mineral absorption in the intestine. A decrease in plasma cholesterol values in the infected group was associated with changes in digestive function.

Ostertagia ostertagi infection in the calf: effects of a trickle challenge on appetite, digestibility, rate of passage of digesta and liveweight gain

The effects of a trickle challenge with the equivalent of 10,000 infective Ostertagia ostertagi larvae per day on appetite, digestibility, rate of passage of digesta and liveweight gain were investigated in 12 calves assigned to infected, pair-fed control and ad libitum-fed control groups. Digestibility of cellulose, nitrogen, organic matter and dry matter was determined using insoluble acid detergent fibre as a marker on two occasions during the study: (i) Between days 31 and 38, when abomasal dysfunction was greatest; and (ii) between days 52 and 58, beginning approximately one week after anthelmintic treatment (day 46). Rate of passage of digesta was measured using chromium mordanted hay, fed to each calf after each digestibility study period. Voluntary feed intake of the infected group was significantly reduced from day 37 with the greatest depression (77 per cent) occurring just before anthelmintic treatment. The drop in appetite was responsible for nearly 73 per cent of the difference in liveweight gain between the infected and ad libitum fed control groups. The apparent digestibility coefficient of nitrogen was significantly depressed (22 per cent) in the infected group though was restored to control levels by anthelmintic treatment. The rate of passage of digesta was significantly reduced in both pair-fed control (50 per cent) and infected (74 per cent) groups. Anthelmintic treatment increased the latter though only to pair-fed control group levels. It is suggested that the marked hypergastrinaemia seen in the infected calves may have been in part responsible for the decreased rate of passage of digesta and in turn for the drop in appetite.

Blood gastrin and pepsinogen responses to subclinical infection with Ostertagia ostertagi in adult dairy cattle

Blood gastrin and pepsinogen responses to a single infection with 100,000 Ostertagia ostertagi infective larvae in lactating dairy cows were investigated. None of the infected cows showed signs of clinical ostertagiasis, nor was there any difference in live weight gain, milk yield or faecal egg count between groups. Pepsinogen levels of the infected group were significantly elevated between days 3 and 24 after infection (peak 1041 mU tyrosine; day 14). In contrast, there was no significant difference in blood gastrin levels between infected and control animals suggesting that few adult worms had become established in the former group. These data are compared with the increases in both gastrin and pepsinogen levels recorded in susceptible calves exposed to the same level, pattern and strain of ostertagia infection in a previous experiment. It is suggested that gastrin assay may be of value in adult cattle for indicating when elevated pepsinogen levels are merely associated with a rise in larval intake and not with the establishment of large adult worm burdens.

Interactions between chemoprophylaxis and immunity to bovine parasitic gastroenteritis and bronchitis: pilot studies using an oxfendazole pulse release bolus

In separate experiments, the immune status of six matched pairs of yearling heifers from a field trial in which both parasitic gastroenteritis and husk had occurred in control animals, was tested with a single massive challenge of either Dictyocaulus viviparus or Ostertagia ostertagi. The clinical responses of untreated controls and animals that had carried an oxfendazole pulse release intraruminal device (OPRB) were in all cases similar (with the exception of one lung-worm-challenged control that succumbed to a fulminating pulmonary hypersensitivity reaction), indicating that both groups possessed comparable degrees of protection. Faecal larval/egg-output data and serum gastrin levels, however, suggested that larger worm populations had established in the OPRB cattle.

Field evaluation of the oxfendazole pulse release bolus for the chemoprophylaxis of bovine parasitic gastroenteritis: a comparison with three other control strategies

Three trials were conducted in southern England involving 120 autumn-born calves to evaluate the ability of an oxfendazole pulse-release intraruminal device (OPRB) to control parasitic gastroenteritis (PGE). Matched groups were set-stocked on adjacent paddocks. One group received an OPRB at turn-out; one was treated with an alternative chemoprophylactic programme; while the third acted as an untreated control. In each trial clinical PGE occurred in the latter group but not in OPRB or alternative strategy groups. The OPRB, the morantel sustained release bolus (MSRB) and fenbendazole administered at 3 and 6 weeks after turn-out gave similar weight-gain benefits when compared with untreated controls (P less than 0.01), but the growth rate of animals given regular levamisole treatments from July to housing was significantly poorer than the matching OPRB group (P less than 0.05) although better than controls. Faecal egg-output of OPRB calves was reduced by 97.0-99.9% compared with 95.5 and 58.9% for MSRB and fenbendazole treatments. Consequently, the late summer/autumn peaks in pasture larval counts were considerably reduced in all treatment groups other than the late-season levamisole strategy which reduced overall egg-output by only 37.6%. Serum pepsinogen and gastrin values confirmed a greater degree of abomasal disturbance in calves grazing on the more highly contaminated pastures. Incidental lungworm infections became clinically apparent in the control groups of two trials but not in any OPRB or alternative treatment group.

Tumor blood flow and systemic shunting in patients receiving intraarterial chemotherapy for head and neck cancer

Radionuclide techniques have been used to estimate the systemic shunt and to quantitate blood flow to the tumor and a reference normal tissue in nine patients undergoing intraarterial chemotherapy for head and neck cancer. The systemic shunt was calculated as the percentage of pulmonary trapping of intraarterially injected 99mTc-labeled macroaggregated albumin. The mean systemic shunt in the 12 separate arteries studied was 23 +/- 13% (SE) (range 8-43%). Quantitative blood flow was determined from the slope of the washout curve of intraarterially injected 133Xe. The mean tumor blood flow was 13.6 +/- 6.7 ml/100 g/min, while the mean blood flow to the scalp was 4.2 +/- 2.1 ml/100 g/min providing a mean tumor/normal tissue ratio of 3.9 +/- 2.7. An estimate of blood flow distribution was obtained by calculating the ratio of counts/pixel in the tumor mass versus the remainder of the head as determined by single photon emission computed tomography following an intraarterial injection of 99mTc-labeled macroaggregated albumin. The mean ratio of tumor to normal tissue perfusion by this technique was 5.6 +/- 3.7. These techniques have allowed noninvasive determination of the blood flow parameters associated with intraarterial chemotherapy. At least part of the therapeutic advantage of regional chemotherapy in patients with head and neck cancer is due to a tumor/normal tissue blood flow ratio that favors drug delivery to the tumor contained within the infused volume.