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Helminthiasis characterization and anthelmintic efficacy for ewes and lambs raised in tropical semiarid region

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Abstract

In this study the helminthiasis and anthelmintic effectiveness in ewes and lambs were evaluated in a semiarid region of Brazil. Twelve sheep farms were investigated using semi-structured questionnaires and fecal egg count (FEC) reduction test was employed to analyze the profile of anthelmintic resistance. Groups of at least 10 animals with FEC ≥ 300 were selected. After 12 h of fasting, homogeneous groups of lambs or ewes were treated with albendazole, levamisole moxidectin, or oxfendazole and control groups were not treated. Feces were collected before treatments and 14 days after, and larvae genera were identified after cuprocultures in both periods. Extensive grazing was the predominant creation system, using hybrid Santa Ines animals. The separation by age was promoted in 75% of herds; however, maternity pickets there were only in three farms. The strategic treatments were performed only in 8.4% of sheep farms and 16.6% used the anthelmintic efficacy test and alternated anthelmintic classes after 1 year. The initial FEC means for lambs were significantly higher than ewe FEC averages. For lamb tests, moxidectin and levamisole showed higher efficacy (p ≤ 0.05) than benzimidazoles. For ewe tests, moxidectin and levamisole showed efficiencies >75%. Haemonchus spp. and Trichostrongylus spp. were the most frequent nematodes before treatments and the genus Haemonchus was the most prevalent after anthelmintic treatments (p < 0.05). Variations of anthelmintic susceptibility were observed for categories and herds evaluated, which emphasizes the importance of the effectiveness tests for the choice of anthelmintics for ewes and lambs.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) and Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG) for the financial support of this project. The authors are also thankful to the Pro-Rectors of Extension and graduate of the Federal University of Minas Gerais.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Federal University of Minas Gerais, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Avenida Universitária, 1000, BairroUniversitário, Montes Claros, Minas Gerais, 39400-006, Brazil

    Gabriela Almeida Bastos, Leydiana Duarte Fonseca, Adriano Vinícius de Paiva Ferreira, Marco Aurélio Morais Soares Costa, Maria Luiza França Silva, Viviane de Oliveira Vasconcelos, Rogério Marcos de Sousa & Eduardo Robson Duarte

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  1. Gabriela Almeida Bastos
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  2. Leydiana Duarte Fonseca
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  3. Adriano Vinícius de Paiva Ferreira
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  4. Marco Aurélio Morais Soares Costa
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  5. Maria Luiza França Silva
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  6. Viviane de Oliveira Vasconcelos
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  7. Rogério Marcos de Sousa
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  8. Eduardo Robson Duarte
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Correspondence to Eduardo Robson Duarte.

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The procedures adopted were approved by the Ethics Committee on Animal Experiments of UFMG, under protocol 42/2008.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Bastos, G.A., Fonseca, L.D., de Paiva Ferreira, A.V. et al. Helminthiasis characterization and anthelmintic efficacy for ewes and lambs raised in tropical semiarid region. Trop Anim Health Prod 49, 937–943 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-017-1276-x

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