Evaluation of anthelmintic drugs against egg development of rumen flukes recovered from cattle raised in the humid tropics of Mexico

Abstract

Paramphistomosis is a parasitic disease endemic in ruminants nearly worldwide. In the present study, an in vitro screening of the main anthelmintics used in Mexico was carried out to determine the mean lethal dose for rumen fluke eggs from cattle in a humid, warm region. Rumen flukes were obtained from cattle slaughtered in the states of Tabasco and Chiapas in Mexico. Eggs were collected using a 37-μm sieve and quantified. Then, an in vitro incubation study was performed: 100 eggs were placed into the wells of polystyrene microtiter plates. Anthelmintic products were tested on the eggs at concentrations ranging from 0.0015 to 3.0 mg/ml for rafoxanide, 0.0025 to 10.20 mg/ml for nitroxinil and 0.0015 to 3 mg/ml for closantel to determine the median lethal dose (LD50) and maximum lethal dose (LD99). A control group (water) was included in each plate. Three different species of rumen flukes (Calicophoron brothriophoron, Calicophoron clavula and Paramphistomum cervi) belonging to five isolates were identified. Nitroxinil had the highest efficacy against rumen fluke eggs, with an LD50 of 0.11 to 65 μg/ml, whereas rafoxanide showed the lowest efficacy with an LD50 ranging from 500 to 1713 μg/ml. Closantel showed high variability in the LD50 among the different analysed isolates (17 to 122 μg/ml). The evaluated flukicidal drugs presented differential efficacy against the development of rumen fluke eggs. The efficacy of the drugs will vary depending on the geographical area of origin of the animals.