Control Of Gastrointestinal Parasites Research Articles

Reduced anthelmintic use on 13 New Zealand sheep farms: farmer motivations and practical implementation

ABSTRACT Aims: To describe the personal drivers, sources of information and gastro-intestinal parasite control methods used by a group of New Zealand sheep farmers identified as low users of anthelmintic (AHC), and their perception of the efficacy and impacts of this approach. Methods: A convenience sample of 13 sheep farmers farming with a policy of reduced AHC use (no pre-determined routine treatments of ewes >19 months old and/or lambs not routinely treated at pre-determined intervals from weaning through to late autumn) were identified. Semi-structured interviews were conducted regarding their farming philosophy, motivations for reducing AHC use, perceptions of the impacts of farming with reduced AHC use, and parasite control practices. Semi-quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics for demographic data and categorising participants’ use of AHC and non-chemical control methods. Qualitative data regarding participants’ motivations, approaches and rationale were analysed by systematic analysis of the transcripts and distillation of key concepts. Results: Participants had been operating with reduced AHC use for 3 to ≥20 years. Key motivators for reducing AHC use were a diagnosis of anthelmintic resistance (AR) or concerns about AR developing. Parasite management information came from a wide range of sources. All respondents expressed overall positive views regarding the impacts of reduced AHC use but detailed information was not available. All identified that regular monitoring, based primarily on subjective animal and non-animal factors was important for their parasite control strategy. Most used faecal egg counts (FEC), often in an ad hoc manner. Five never treated adult ewes, two routinely treated ewes prior to lambing with short-acting AHC and the remainder occasionally treated a small number in low body condition. Four routinely treated some or all lambs at 28–30-day intervals from weaning to late autumn while the remainder based their treatment decisions for lambs on monitored information. All placed heavy emphasis on feeding sheep well, ensuring high post-grazing residuals, and cross-grazing. Conclusions: AR was a key motivator for participants to reduce AHC use, and a range of information sources and decision-making processes were used. Key parasite management practices were monitoring, primarily using subjective assessments, emphasis on feeding stock well and cross-grazing. Clinical relevance: The rising prevalence of AR will likely result in increasing the motivation for sheep farmers to reduce their AHC use. Veterinarians will play a key role in providing advice and assistance to facilitate changes in parasite management.

Prevalence of Gastrointestinal Parasites in Small Ruminant Farms in Southern Spain.

The primary population of small ruminants in Spain is concentrated in the southern region, a critical area for the country's livestock production. Indirect economic losses can occur when this livestock is affected by gastrointestinal parasites. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of these parasites in small ruminant herds (159 sheep and 39 goats) through coprological analyses and conducted a survey on farmers' management practices related to gastrointestinal parasite control. The survey results revealed some important aspects: monitoring through coprological analyses is not a common practice; veterinarians are not typically involved in deworming plans; anthelmintic treatment in adults is often applied twice a year in sheep and once a year in goats; and finally, drug rotation was higher in sheep farms. Coprological analyses showed Eimeria spp. as the most common parasitic infection, followed by Strongyles infection. Other parasites like Moniezia spp., Trichuris spp., and D. dendriticum were less important, although their prevalence was higher in sheep than goats. This constitutes the first report on the epidemiological status of gastrointestinal parasites in small ruminants in southern Spain. Based on the survey findings, the introduction of certain management measures on farms could potentially mitigate parasite infections.

Sustainable control of gastrointestinal parasites in goats of Reasi and Udhampur, India

Sustainable control of gastrointestinal parasites in goats of Reasi and Udhampur, India

Evaluation of the supply of Duddingtonia flagrans for the control of gastrointestinal parasites in sheep.

Parasitic resistance imposes alternative control methods, like nematophagous fungi. In this study, two experiments were conducted supplying Duddingtonia flagrans aiming to evaluate the biological control of parasites in sheep. In the first, 24 sheep naturally infected by gastrointestinal nematodes were allocated, in randomized blocks, following the treatments: control or treated group, 0.5g/animal product containing D. flagrans, chlamydospores. Weight, body score, Famacha©, egg count per gram of feces (EPG), and larval percentage were evaluated. In the second experiment, D. flagrans (0.25 and 0.5g product) was infested with manure, plus or not protein concentrate, in a completely randomized design. In both experiments the dose was intentionally lower than recommended. Recovery and larval identification were performed. The SAS analyzed the variables by the MIXED procedure, repeated measures in time. Weight, body score, hematocrit, and Famacha© did not show differences between treatments (p>0.05); however, EPG (p<0.001) and the percentage of larvae identified in coproculture were different. In the second experiment, the inclusion of the fungus did not influence the recovery of larvae (p>0.05). In both experiments, colonization and advancement of the fungus were visualized. Under the experimental conditions, the fungus D. flagrans was not effective in the biological control of parasitic infection in sheep.

Research on the Control of Gastrointestinal Strongyles in Sheep by Using Lotus corniculatus or Cichorium intybus in Feed.

The general practice of sheep farmers in gastrointestinal helminth control is based on the use of commercial drugs, making chemoresistance very common. Considering this, our study focused on the biological control of gastrointestinal parasitism using high-tannin plant hay. Three groups of 30 animals each were formed. The control group was additionally fed meadow hay, while the other two groups received chicory (group 2) and bird's foot trefoil hay (group 3). The number of gastrointestinal strongyle eggs, shed through faeces (EPG), was surveyed for 28 days for all animals. The amounts of total tannins for meadow, chicory, and Lotus corniculatus hay supplements were 13.92 mg/g, 78.59 mg/g, and 94.43 mg/g, while their condensed tannin contents were 2.58 mg/g, 29.84 mg/g, and 15.94 mg/g, respectively. Compared to experimental day 0, there was an increase in EPG of 80.83% in the control group, a decrease of 24.72% in group 2, and a 20% decrease in group 3, by day 28. The p-value was <0.05 between group 1 and the other groups, showing significant differences between the control and experimental groups. The decrease in EPG rates in the experimental groups compared to the control group demonstrates an antiparasitic effect of Lotus corniculatus and chicory.

Characterization of sheep production systems and their relation with gastrointestinal parasites in four municipalities of Campeche, Mexico

Objective: The increase in the number of sheep in herds is accompanied many times by bad practices, which lead to nutritional deficiencies, rises in parasitism and loss of homeostasis. Therefore, gastrointestinal parasites from sheep were characterized from four municipalities of the state of Campeche.&#x0D; Design/methodology/approach: The number of sheep studied was 243, evaluating the body weight, body condition, coloring of the eye mucosae, age, eggs per grams of feces, and family of parasites. The data were analyzed through an ANOVA and Tukey’s means test (P&lt;0.05), as well as Spearman’s correlation analysis using the statistical package Statistica 7.&#x0D; Results: Five parasite families were found (Trichostrongyloidae, Strongyloidae, Trichuridae, Eimeriidae and Anoplocephalidae). In the production systems of the municipality of Calakmul the five families of parasites were found, with a parasite load of 3,571 hpg. The family Trichostrongyloidae presented the highest frequency in the municipalities of Champotón and Calakmul with 52 and 75%, respectively. The animals with best body condition, FAMACHA© and lowest parasite load were observed in Hecelchakán.&#x0D; Limitations on study/implications: It is suggested to carry out a study of anthelmintic resistance, to establish a management of prevention and control of gastrointestinal parasites.&#x0D; Findings/conclusions: The frequency of gastrointestinal parasites is influenced by the management and the municipality of origin within the sheep production systems in the state of Campeche.

Moringa oleifera as a Natural Alternative for the Control of Gastrointestinal Parasites in Equines: A Review.

Studies have shown a wide variety of parasites that infect horses, causing major gastrointestinal damage that can lead to death, and although the main method of control has been synthetic anthelmintics, there are parasites that have developed resistance to these drugs. For generations, plants have been used throughout the world as a cure or treatment for countless diseases and their symptoms, as is the case of Moringa oleifera, a plant native to the western region. In all its organs, mainly in leaves, M. oleifera presents a diversity of bioactive compounds, including flavonoids, tannins, phenolic acids, saponins, and vitamins, which provide antioxidant power to the plant. The compounds with the greatest antiparasitic activity are tannins and saponins, and they affect both the larvae and the oocytes of various equine gastrointestinal parasites. Therefore, M. oleifera is a promising source for the natural control of gastrointestinal parasites in horses.

Nematophagous fungus Pochonia chlamydosporia to control parasitic diseases in animals

The control of gastrointestinal parasites in animals has become more challenging every year due to parasite resistance to conventional chemical control, which has been observed worldwide. Ovicidal or opportunistic fungi do not form traps to capture larvae. Their mechanism of action is based on a mechanical/enzymatic process, which enables the penetration of their hyphae into helminth eggs, with subsequent internal colonization of these. The biological control with the Pochonia chlamydosporia fungus has been very promising in the treatment of environments and prevention. When used in intermediate hosts of Schistosoma mansoni, the fungus promoted a high percentage decrease in the population density of aquatic snails. Secondary metabolites were also found in P. chlamydosporia. Many of these compounds can be used by the chemical industry in the direction of a commercial product. This review aims to provide a description of P. chlamydosporia and its possible use as a biological parasitic controller. The ovicidal fungus P. chlamydosporia is effective in the control of parasites and goes far beyond the control of verminosis, intermediate hosts, and coccidia. It can also be used not only as biological controllers in natura but also as their metabolites and molecules can have chemical action against these organisms. KEY POINTS: • The use of the fungus P. chlamydosporia is promising in the control of helminths. • Metabolites and molecules of P. chlamydosporia may have chemical action in control.

Effects of scent leaf (ocimum gratissimum) on intestinal helminths affecting local free range chickens

Scent leaf or Ocimum gratissimum is introduced to test its effectiveness as herbal purgatives in the treatment/eradication of gastrointestinal parasites in native chickens. Therefore, considering the side effects and the extracts and biologically protozoan builds against drugs, more attention should be given to the extracts and biologically active compounds which are isolated from plant species commonly used in herbal medicine. Hence, there is need for the study of potentials use of scent leaf (Ocimum gratissimmum) in the control of gastro-intestinal parasites of local free range chicken. A total of 18 local free range chickens were used for the study. The birds were sourced from the local community market at 17 weeks of age. The local birds were weighed to determine their initial body weight. Six (6) local chickens were allocated to three (3) treatment. The results reveals that all the free range chicken that were given scent leaf extract and commercial dewormer shows great reduction in number of eggs in their feaces. This indicates that scent leaf extract are equally effective as commercial dewormer (mebendazole). From the studies, Ocimum gratissimum is a good antioxidant and also has some medicinal and nutritive values. This method of gastrointestinal helminthes control/eradication is cheap and easy to practice and could be adopted to replace conventional use of anti-helminthic drugs because of recent development of resistance of the helminthes to these drugs. The formulation of the plant extract regimen could be carried out without much technical know-how and the use of highly sophisticated equipment. Consequently, rural dwellers could access this nascent method of eradication of gastrointestinal helminthes in local free range chickens with little training/orientation. From the results of this study it is recommended that Ocimum gratissimum extract and commercial dewormer (Mebendazole) be incorporated into the treatment of local free range chickens without any detrimental effect.

Castor bean cake for the control of parasites in pasture-finished sheep.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate castor bean cake as alternative input in the control of gastrointestinal parasites in sheep raised on irrigated pasture under continuous stocking. The treatments consisted of sheep supplemented with standard diet and pasture fertilized with urea; sheep supplemented with alternative diet and pasture fertilized with urea; sheep supplemented with standard diet and pasture fertilized with in natura castor bean cake; and sheep supplemented with alternative diet and pasture fertilized with in natura castor bean cake. A randomized complete block design (CBD) was used, with 16 replications (sheep), with repeated measures over time, the plots being the treatments, and the subplots the collection times. Infective nematode larvae in the pasture (L3.g DM−1), number of eggs per gram of feces (EPG), globular volume (GV), and total plasma protein (TPP) were evaluated. For adult gastrointestinal parasite counts, CBD was also used with six replications. Except for FAMACHA© grade, all variables had effect (P < 0.01) of the time factor. The average number of L3.g DM−1 and EPG were 126 and 841, respectively, with no effect (P > 0.05) of the treatment factor. The values observed for GV and TPP were higher than 25.9% and 6.4 g·dL−1, respectively, which were considered normal. As organic fertilizer, the fractionated application of in natura castor bean cake does not reduce the contamination of pastures by nematode larvae. The evaluated feeds improve the resilience of the sheep to infection by gastrointestinal parasites. The treatments using castor bean cake reduced the adult parasites present in the abomasum of sheep.

Disease surveillance in England and Wales, June 2022.

Disease surveillance in England and Wales, June 2022.

Farmers' perception on the control of gastrointestinal parasites in organic and conventional sheep production in Sweden.

A questionnaire was sent to sheep owners in Sweden to get information about anthelmintic drug use. The survey also investigated how respondents experienced problems with gastrointestinal nematode infections (GIN) focusing on Haemonchus contortus. The response rate was 31% and included both conventional and organic farms. The use of anthelmintics was low (45%), among which a majority (76%) drenched ewes on a single occasion, mostly with ivermectin (59%) followed by albendazole (19%). Other drugs were used rarely, however, unawareness of GIN risk was high (19%), especially among respondents with few animals. Anthelmintic dose calculations were done after visual appraisal by 63% and 22% calibrated the equipment before drug delivery, which is worrying since underdosing is a risk factor for the development of anthelmintic resistance. Like with anthelmintics, the perceived risk for GIN increased with herd size both by conventional and organic farmers. Faecal examination for the presence of GIN was done by 65% of the respondents and, among their sheep, H. contortus was or had been diagnosed in 41% of the herds. Irrespective of new stock had been imported from other countries or not, common problems were reported by 5% and 7% of the organic and conventional producers, respectively. Land use and grazing management strategies differed more in relation to herd size than by production form, with a majority (47%) having their sheep grazed in several paddocks, or at least the lambs were moved when separated from the ewes at weaning (25%). In contrast set stocked grazing was mainly reported on smaller farms. Co-grazing with cattle and horses were also frequently reported irrespective of production form, but with cattle to a somewhat greater degree on larger organic farms. Wild cervids, especially roe deer, were frequently observed on sheep pastures (87%). The veterinary involvement was higher on organic (65%) than on conventional farms (53%), and only 5% considered advice unimportant. Still, some conventional and organic producers treated sheeps routinely without a prior diagnosis, against the national regulations. 46% of the respondents drenched new and replacement stock. In conclusion, although some differences were observed between conventional and organic producers, the divergences were mainly due to herd size categories. Furthermore, despite a high veterinary involvement, we identified factors which can contribute to anthelmintic use, such as poor quarantine procedures, and deworming routines that can contribute to anthelmintic resistance in H. contortus.

Unfavorable genetic correlations between fecal egg count and milk production traits in the French blond-faced Manech dairy sheep breed

BackgroundGenetic selection has proven to be a successful strategy for the sustainable control of gastrointestinal parasitism in sheep. However, little is known on the relationship between resistance to parasites and production traits in dairy breeds. In this study, we estimated the heritabilities and genetic correlations for resistance to parasites and milk production traits in the blond-faced Manech breed. The resistance to parasites of 951 rams from the selection scheme was measured through fecal egg counts (FEC) at 30 days post-infection under experimental conditions. Six milk production traits [milk yield (MY), fat yield (FY), protein yield (PY), fat content (FC), protein content (PC) and somatic cell score (LSCS)], were used in this study and were collected on 140,127 dairy ewes in first lactation, as part of the official milk recording. These ewes were related to the 951 rams (65% of the ewes were daughters of the rams).ResultsFecal egg counts at the end of the first and second infections were moderately heritable (0.19 and 0.37, respectively) and highly correlated (0.93). Heritabilities were moderate for milk yields (ranging from 0.24 to 0.29 for MY, FY and PY) and high for FC (0.35) and PC (0.48). MY was negatively correlated with FC and PC (− 0.39 and − 0.45, respectively). FEC at the end of the second infection were positively correlated with MY, FY and PY (0.28, 0.29 and 0.24, respectively with standard errors of ~ 0.10). These slightly unfavorable correlations indicate that the animals with a high production potential are genetically more susceptible to gastrointestinal parasite infections. A low negative correlation (− 0.17) was also found between FEC after the second infection and LSCS, which suggests that there is a small genetic antagonism between resistance to gastrointestinal parasites and resistance to mastitis, which is another important health trait in dairy sheep.ConclusionsOur results indicate an unfavorable but low genetic relationship between resistance to gastrointestinal parasites and milk production traits in the blond-faced Manech breed. These results will help the breeders’ association make decisions about how to include resistance to parasites in the selection objective.

Suppressive treatment with monepantel and the fast selection for phenotypically resistant trichostrongylids of sheep.

Gastrointestinal parasite control has been a major challenge to livestock due to the failure of anthelmintic treatments. Monepantel (MNT) was introduced in 2009 as an alternative treatment option showing a new mechanism of action against nematode parasites. To study the response of MNT in a suppressive regime, 45-Suffolk and White Dorper naturally infected sheep were divided into one of three groups, G1: control – with no treatment, G2: MNT at 2.5 mg kg−1 live weight (LW) PO every 30 days, and G3: MNT at 4.0 mg kgLW−1 PO every 30 days for 6 months. Every 15 days, the animals were individually weighed (body weight, BW) and checked for Famacha (FMC) and body condition score (BCS). The efficacy of MNT was evaluated weekly by fecal egg count (FEC) every month. FEC showed >97% efficacy at the start of the experiment, revealing a significant reduction for G2 (28%) and G3 (39%) in the following months. There was no treatment, BW or BCS effect between treatments; however, there was a period (P < 0.0001) and a treatment vs period interaction (P < 0.0001) for BW. The data revealed that MNT at a therapeutic and suppressive dose had a non-linear polynomial efficacy regression (R2) of 0.988 and 0.992, respectively. This original experiment demonstrates how short-interval and suppressive MNT treatments would rapidly select Haemonchus contortus, showing a fast susceptible-resistance phenotypic population replacement. Therefore, it is suggested that MNT might be carefully used in parasite control programmes alongside other management strategies (i.e. FMC, BCS) to reduce treatment frequency and the selection process for resistance.

Ethnoveterinary Uses of Medicinal Plants in Haut-Katanga Province (Dr Congo): The Control of Gastrointestinal Parasites in Goats

Ethnoveterinary Uses of Medicinal Plants in Haut-Katanga Province (Dr Congo): The Control of Gastrointestinal Parasites in Goats

Vaccines for gastrointestinal parasites, a pillar of preventive medicine in veterinary practice: Systematic review

Contextualization: The antiparasitic resistance caused by the indiscriminate use of anthelmintic drugs for the control of gastrointestinal parasites in production animals and pets, has become one of the biggest problems in animal health. For this reason, the use of vaccines could benefit animal health and welfare by controlling emerging zoonotic diseases and foodborne pathogens of animal origin, thus improving public health. Knowledge gap: It is relevant for professionals in veterinary science to know the clinical trials of experimental vaccines for controlling certain gastrointestinal parasites. This way, they can be at the forefront of the next available technological products and so, be able to control this menace to the animal health and public health. Purpose: To do a systematic review of clinical trials for experimental vaccines in production animals and pets for diseases caused by gastrointestinal parasites of relevance in animal production and/or public health. Furthermore, it presents the current gastrointestinal antiparasitic vaccines commercialized in different countries and their prophylactic efficacy. Methodology: PRISMA protocols were followed for this systematic review. Articles were obtained from scientific databases with the following keywords: vaccines, clinical trials, commercial vaccines, parasites control, gastrointestinal nematodes, gastrointestinal cestodes, gastrointestinal protozoa, Ascaris suum, Ancylostoma caninum, Cooperia oncophora, Echinococcus granulosus, Eimeria spp., Giardia lamblia, Haemonchus contortus, Osteortagia osteortagi, Taenia solium and Teladorsagia circumcincta. Only clinical trials of gastrointestinal antiparasitic vaccines in birds, pets, pigs and ruminants were included in this analysis, as well as commercial vaccines currently available for these same parasites. Results and conclusions: Even though there are important clinical trial studies of vaccines in these animal species (n=101) reported between 1964 to 2020, only five parasites can be prevented/controlled with commercial vaccines used in veterinary medicine: Haemonchus contortus and Echinococcus granulosus in ruminants, Taenia solium in pigs, Eimeria spp. in birds and Giardia lamblia in dogs (e.g., Cysvax™, Barbervax®, Providean® Hidatil EG95, CocciVac® and GiardiaVax™). It is expected that, with the development of bioinformatics and methodologies such as reverse vaccinology, this immunoprophylactic and immunotherapeutic range will be extended as to control these parasitic agents of great importance in human and animal health.

PSXV-21 Assessment of the presence of anthelmintic resistance in Maryland beef cattle herds

Abstract Reduced anthelmintic efficacy in beef cattle has recently been documented at the national level. The objective of this study was to determine if anthelmintic resistance is present in Maryland beef cattle herds. For this study, the fecal egg count reduction (FECR) test was used to assess anthelmintic efficacy of composite samples. Between July and October 2020, anthelmintic efficacy was assessed for 17 groups of cattle across 14 individual farms in Maryland. Each test group consisted of 24 ± 6 calves or yearlings (&amp;lt; 16 months of age). Previous anthelmintic treatment history was used to assign each group to one of four commercially available anthelmintics: moxidectin (injectable), moxidectin (pour-on), doramectin, or fenbendazole. Prior to treatment, cattle were weighed to ensure appropriate dose according to the product label. Fecal samples were collected from all cattle within each group before and after (17 ± 5 d) treatment. Pre- and post-treatment samples were composited for each group on an equal-weight basis (10g per animal) and the number of eggs within the sample was determined using the 3-chambered McMaster technique. The mean FECR across all four anthelmintics was 60 ± 19% (mean ± 95% confidence interval), indicating that the anthelmintics tested in this study were largely ineffective. The FECR for the moxidectin injectable, moxidectin pour-on, doramectin, and fenbendazole treatments were 71 ± 38%, 47 ± 46%, 35 ± 88%, and 96 ± 18% (mean ± 95% confidence interval), respectively. Although these data indicate no statistically significant differences for efficacy among the four products tested, they do suggest that efficacy is highly variable across different anthelmintics and farms. Results also indicate that anthelmintic resistance exists on many cattle farms in Maryland. This study provides evidence that supports the need for more judicious anthelmintic use and alternative gastrointestinal parasite control measures in Maryland beef cattle herds.

Bioverm® in the Control of Nematodes in Beef Cattle Raised in the Central-West Region of Brazil.

Cooperia, Haemonchus and Oesophagostomum are the genera of gastrointestinal parasitic nematodes most prevalent in cattle and constitute a serious problem in cattle breeding due to the impact they have on meat and milk production and the high costs of control measures. The objective of the present work was to evaluate the efficiency of Bioverm® (Duddingtonia flagrans) in the control of gastrointestinal parasitism of young cattle raised in the field, in the Central-West region of Brazil. The experiment was conducted on a farm located in the municipality of Jangada, MT, where 18 cattle, Nelore and Aberdeen Angus breeds, aged six to ten months, were randomly divided into two groups (treated group and control group) and distributed in paddocks of Brachiaria decumbens, naturally infested by larvae of gastrointestinal nematodes. The animals in the treated group received 1g of Bioverm® for each 10 kg of body weight, administered daily with commercial feed, throughout a period of six months. In the control group, each animal received 1 g of rice bran for each 10 kg of body weight, without Bioverm®, added to the feed. Stool and pasture samples were collected every two weeks. The treated group showed a significant reduction (p < 0.05) in values of eggs per gram of feces (EPG) and a significant gain of body weight (p < 0.05) when compared to the control group. The fungal formulation Bioverm® was effective in pasture decontamination and consequently in reducing the occurrence of reinfection by nematodes. The animals treated with Bioverm® showed a lower parasitic load and greater weight gain.

Prevalence and Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Parasites in Cattle in Different Zones of Tehsil Chakwal, Punjab, Pakistan

The study was conducted from March 2015 to February 2016 in different zones of Tehsil Chakwal in different breeds of cattle to detect the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites. A total of the 1039 faecal samples were randomly collected from cattle in the study area and standard laboratory procedures were followed to determine the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites. The study revealed that the overall prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites of cattle was 58.13% with maximum prevalence for trematodes (21.56%) following 18.48% for nematodes and 18.09% for cestodes. Highest prevalence was observed during the months of July and August. Exotic breeds were affected more than local breeds by the helminthes. Prevalence was higher in case of young and male animals as compared to adult and female animals respectively. Higher prevalence rates in the study showed the neglect of better management practices targeted at control of gastrointestinal parasites. It was concluded that age, gender, breed and season are the important factors which influence the epidemiology of gastrointestinal parasites.

Management practices related to the control of gastrointestinal parasites on Swedish pig farms

BackgroundInternal parasites are common in pigs worldwide and may induce clinical disease or subclinical infections with negative effects such as poor weight gain and reduced welfare, which in turn affect productivity. Effective parasite control to reduce the negative impact of parasitic infections demands a combination of antiparasitic drugs as well as various hygiene and biosecurity practices. The aim of this study was to obtain information on current management practices and parasite control routines used on Swedish pig farms using an online questionnaire.ResultsAntiparasitic drugs were used on 69% of the farms routinely and were mainly administered to sows just prior to farrowing. Less than 5% of the herds conducted faecal analysis for parasites. Batchwise, age segregated rearing was common and overall, it was practiced for piglets, growers, and fatteners on 88, 80 and 75% of the farms, respectively. Large and medium sized farms appeared to apply stricter hygiene and biosecurity measures to the growing pigs compared to small farms. Dry sows were mainly housed in groups on deep litter straw beds and cleaning, as well as disinfection, between each group was less common compared to what was practiced for growing pigs. Outdoor access was rare and only occurred on organic and small farms. Most of the farms, 54, 74 and 82% of small, medium, and large sized herds respectively, reported to have less than 5% white spot lesions, caused by migrating A. suum larvae, registered at slaughter.ConclusionSeveral risk factors for parasite infections, such as bedding material, group housing and solid floors, are mandatory requirements by national law. However, it was evident from this study that although strategic hygiene and biosecurity practices appeared common, they were not practiced in all herds and less so for dry sows. Antiparasitic drugs were used frequently and mainly through routine prophylactic treatments without prior testing for parasites. A holistic approach is necessary when designing efficient parasite control programs, and it is essential that management factors and routine monitoring of parasites are given attention. This to achieve efficient parasite control and reduce the risk of unnecessary use of antiparasitic drugs.