Abstract
Investigations into the efficacy of parenteral ivermectin (Pandex) administration for strongylidosis control in donkeys were carried out. The preparation was applied subcutaneously at a dose of 0.2 mg/kg (1 ml/50 kg body weight). One day prior to the treatment and 14 days post-treatment, individual coprological samples were obtained for faecal nematode egg counts and larval culture. The study was performed on 263 donkeys originating from different regions of Bulgaria. Prior to the treatment and 20 days after that, blood samples were obtained from 64 previously infected animals for monitoring of changes in eosinophil leukocyte counts. The subcutaneous application of ivermectin had an efficacy of 96% in terms of reduction of faecal egg counts. In 92.2% of infected donkeys, a complete reduction of faecal eggs count occurred (0 eggs per gram of faeces epg), whereas in the remaining 7.8% of the infected donkeys, the egg counts were reduced by 72%. The reduction in faecal egg counts did not result in changes in eosinophil counts. The results obtained as well as the lack of local changes after the subcutaneous application of ivermectin in donkeys allow us to recommend its use for control of strongyles in donkeys.
Highlights
Strongylidosis in equids is a cosmopolitan disease of horses, donkeys, mules, hinnies, ponies and zebras[7,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,20,22]
Eighty-three per cent of the animals were infected with strongyles prior to treatment
Calculation of the reduction in faecal egg counts following treatment gave a value of 96 %, which indicated a high efficacy
Summary
Strongylidosis in equids is a cosmopolitan disease of horses, donkeys, mules, hinnies, ponies and zebras[7,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,20,22]. The family Strongylidae comprises numerous species that are found in the large intestine and generally one animal may be infected by more than 10–15 species[3,6,12,13,18,22]. Almost all equids, grazing on pastures, are more or less infected with strongyles[7,18,20]. The most pathogenic strongyles belong to the genus Strongylus (S. edentatus, S. vulgaris and S. equinus), whose larvae are found under the peritoneum, in the wall of the arteria mesenterica cranialis and in the pancreas[5]. The small strongyles (subfamily Cyathostominae – Cyathostomum catinatum and Cyathostomum pateratum) are the most important parasitic pathogens because of their considerable widespread distribution[12,13,18]. In a study of naturally infected equids more than 90–95 % of infective larvae were found to be cyathostomes[23]
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