Formulation of the nematophagous fungus Duddingtonia flagrans in the control of equine gastrointestinal parasitic nematodes

Abstract

Equine gastrointestinal nematodiosis contributes to the lower productivity of these animals. There are growing reports of the emergence of nematodes resistant to the drugs used for decades in anthelmintic treatments. An alternative to the emergence of resistance may be the use of nematophagous fungi as a complementary method of treatment. Therefore, the objective was to evaluate the effects of the use of the product Bioverm® as a carrier of Duddingtonia flagrans, on pasture contamination level and equine parasitic burden. Sixteen mares were used, divided into two groups, one control and one treated, in which the treated animals received a dose of 1 g of Bioverm®, containing 105 chlamydospores per gram of the commercial product for each 10 kg of body weight, per day, for six months. Efficacy was evaluated by count of eggs per gram of faeces (EPG), coproculture and larval count on pastures and its correlation with climate, as well as weight gain evaluation. During the study, a significant influence of the formulation on weight gain and EPG was observed. The recovery of larvae from coprocultures revealed the predominance of small over large strongyles. There was a significant difference (p < 0.05) between the averages of the number of larvae of small strongyles recovered in the pasture at a distance of 0–20 cm from the faeces of treated and control groups. A correlation was also observed between the number of larvae recovered from the pasture and the average temperature during the experimental period, mainly in August and September. The ingestion of Bioverm® enhances the biological control of gastrointestinal nematodes of pasturing horses.