EFFICACY OF ALBENDAZOLE AGAINST Moniezia spp. IN SHEEP AND CATTLE

C h rous t K.: Efficacy afAlbellda:ole agaillsr MOllie:ia spp. ill Sheep and Caule. Acta vet. Srno. 1998.67: 175-181. The paper presents results of the anthelmintic efficacy verification of albendazole in sheep and cattle naturally infected by tapeworms MOllie:ia npansa and M. belledelli. We tested the dose of 5 mg per I kg of body weight applied as a 2.5'7c suspension in sheep. One hundred percent efficacy of this dose was proved both in a controlled test on 12 lambs and in field studies on two tlocks of ewes and lambs (amounting to 380 and 420 individuals) in which we invariably evaluated groups of 30 treated and 30 untreated control individuals using quantitative ovoscopic methods. We also studied the dynamics of the monieziosis prevalence in a tlock ono sheep of all age categories and performed dev."Ofming using albendazole during peak infections in 1995 to 1997. Even in cases when there was a quick and repeated rise of the infection during the pasture period. the application of albendazole decreased ovoscopic findings to zero values and to considerably low prevalence in the second and third year of our study. The occurrence of monieziosis in cattle was nearly sporadic and the application of albendazole in the dose of7.5 mg per I kg of body weight was I OO'7e effective when given to individual animals as a suspension. Mass application using medicated feeds did not ensure appropriate intake of therapeutic doses in all animals treated. Monieziosis is an important health problem particularly of sheep in the Czech Republic and albendazole may be considered as a drug of choice. MOllie:ia expallsa, M. helledelli, sheep, caule, albellda:olc, efficacy Long-term studies of helminthoses in cattle and sheep in the Czech Republic proved that tapeworms belonging to the genus Monie:;ia may be an important pathogenic agent causing mass diseases and mortality. particularly in lambs. The change in the technology of sheep rearing that uses pasture rearing and moves the lambing season to spring months, at present employed by most of our breeders, makes it possible for the animals. contrary to the previously used system of winter lambing. to be permanently on pastures and minimizes the cost of sheep breeding and lamb's meat production. This technology of sheep breeding. however. puts heavy demands on effective parasite control due to the fact that the lambs are subjected to permanent reinfections on pastures from their first days of life. The monography on the genus Moniezia by Baer (1927) includes 6 main species, i.e. AI. benedeni, M. expansa. M. denticlIlaf({. M. pallida, M. rugosa and M. trigollop/zora. Many studies concerned the morphology and biology of these tapeworms. In all. 73 and 43 species of oribatid mites were found to be intermediate hosts in M. expallsa and M. benedeni, respectively (D e neg ri et a!. 1993 J. There are two species that are important under our Address for Corresponden('e: Pr\..)f. ,\IVDr. Karel Chrou~L DrSc Dl'panrnenr of Para:-.irolog~ F,\clllt~ of "eterin,lry ~kdicine l"ni,ef ... itv of Vc:rerindf' and PhJfmaceutil.:al Sciencl''i PaIJck.t!hZ) 1.612 42 Bf~(). Cz('ch Repuhljc Phonl': +-1-20-5-4\56 2262-.1 Fa\.: +420-5-4\56 2266 E-mail: mOuf)@L!iof.jc .... tnuni.l'Z