Efficacy of an energy block containing Duddingtonia flagrans in the control of gastrointestinal nematodes of sheep

• Published in: Parasitology research (1987) Vol. 109; no. 3; pp. 707 - 713
• Main Authors: Sagüés, María F., Fusé, Luis A., Fernández, Alicia S., Iglesias, Lucía E., Moreno, Fabiana C., Saumell, Carlos A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 01.09.2011; Springer
• Subjects: Animals; Ascomycota - growth & development; Biological and medical sciences; Biological control; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Chlamydospores; Duddingtonia flagrans; Eggs; Energy; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gastrointestinal Tract - microbiology; Gastrointestinal Tract - parasitology; General aspects; General aspects and techniques. Study of several systematic groups. Models; Haemonchus contortus; Immunology; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic - parasitology; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic - veterinary; Invertebrates; Male; Mammalia; Medical Microbiology; Microbiology; Nemathelminthia. Plathelmintha; Nematoda; Nematoda - growth & development; Nematoda - pathogenicity; Original Paper; Ovis; Parasite Egg Count; Parasite Load; Parasites - classification; Parasites - isolation & purification; Parasitic Diseases, Animal - parasitology; Parasitic Diseases, Animal - prevention & control; Pasture; Pests; Prevalence; Sheep; Sheep Diseases - parasitology; Sheep Diseases - prevention & control; Spathiger; Trichostrongylus; Vertebrates: general zoology, morphology, phylogeny, systematics, cytogenetics, geographical distribution; Infective Larva; Faecal Culture; Worm Burden; Gastrointestinal Nematode; Trichuris; Parasite; Gastrointestinal; Fungi; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Ovis aries; Helmintha; Sheep; Nemathelminthia; Artiodactyla; Invertebrata; Nematoda; Ungulata
• ISSN: 0932-0113; 1432-1955
• DOI: 10.1007/s00436-011-2302-y

The efficacy of the nematode-trapping fungus Duddingtonia flagrans incorporated into an energy block was evaluated for the control of gastrointestinal nematodes in sheep. Four naturally parasitised sheep with average nematode egg counts of 2,470 eggs per gram grazed by pairs on two similar parasite-free paddocks for 30 days. During that period, one pair of sheep (treated animals, T1) received an energy block containing chlamydospores of D. flagrans at a dose of 200,000 chlamydopores/kg bw/day, while the second pair (control animals, C1) received a fungus-free energy block. The animals in both groups were taken off the paddocks after contaminating the pastures for a month with either nematode eggs plus fungal chlamydospores (T1) or nematode eggs alone (C1). Twelve parasite-free sheep were divided into two groups of six animals each, the treated group (T2) was placed on the paddock previously contaminated with parasites and fungus, while the control group (C2) was placed on the parasite-only paddock. These two groups grazed on their respective paddocks during 30 days and were then housed for 15 days, after which period they were slaughtered in order to determine the parasite burden present in each animal. Results showed that animals in group T2 harboured significantly less nematodes than their counterpart in group C2. The efficacy of D. flagrans was 92% against the total parasite burden, 100% against Haemonchus contortus and Teladorsagia circumcincta , 89.9% against Trichostrongylus colubriformis , 87.5% against Cooperia onchopora , and 90% against Trichostrongylus axei . No efficacy was detected against Nematodirus spathiger , Trichuris ovis and T. skrjabini .