No abstract

No abstract

This study examined the efficacy of 10 % imidacloprid + 2.5 % moxidectin topical solution (Advantage ® Multi, Advocate ® , Bayer) for the treatment of circulating microfilariae from dogs naturally infected with Dirofilaria immitis. The study included two groups of 11 dogs each that consisted of two replicates. Replicate 1 contained 12 dogs (6 treated and 6 controls) and replicate 2 contained 10 dogs (5 treated and 5 controls). Six of the 10 dogs in replicate 2 were the controls from replicate 1. All dogs entering the study completed a physical examination including chest radiographs, blood collections for examination of Dirofilaria immitis circulating microfilariae, serum chemistry, complete blood counts and urinalysis. To qualify for the study each dog was required to have a geometric mean ≥ 300 microfilariae per ml of blood from 3 consecutive samples collected during the 8 day acclimation period and a heartworm disease classification of 1 or 2. Dogs were treated on study days 0 and 28. Post-treatment microfilarial counts were performed on study days 1, 2, 3, 7, 14, 21, 28, 29, 35, and 42. Percent microfilarial reduction was determined by comparing the geometric mean number of circulating microfilaria remaining in treated dogs with those remaining in the control dogs post-treatment. Seven days after the first treatment, the geometric mean microfilarial counts in treated dogs were reduced by > 99 % compared to the control dogs. Reduction remained at > 99 % through the end of the study at 42 days after the first treatment (14 days after the second treatment). The results of this study demonstrated that Advantage ® Multi for dogs is effcacious for treatment of circulating D. immitis microfilariae in naturally infected heartworm-positive dogs with no treatment-related adverse events observed. S166EndoparasitEs

Aim: An investigation on ticks and haemoparasites of dogs that belonged to Maiduguri metropolis (Borno State) was conducted. Materials and Methods:Survey of ticks and haemo-parasites on 400 stray dogs was conducted in Maiduguri from December 2009 to November 2011, using a stratified random sampling technique from different locations of the town. The town was divided into 10 districts out of which a total of 40 dogs were sampled at random from each district.Results: Four genera of ticks were identified on the infested dogs 384 (96.0), all of which belonged to the family Ixodidae (hard ticks). The genus Boophilus was predominant with a prevalence of 88.0%, Rhipicephalus 10.8%, Hyalomma 0.9% and Amblyomma 0.3% at (p ? 0.05). Dogs within the age-group of 6-12 months were the most infested, while those within the agegroup of 24 -120 months were the least infested. Sex appeared to have a less significant influence (p > 0.05) on the prevalence of ticks among the dog population as females were more infested than the males. The perineum and the ear were the most commonly infested areas, with 328 (85.4%) and 252 (65.4%) respectively, while the scrotal and abdominal regions were the least infested areas 12 (3.1%) each. The month of August showed the highest mean tick burden of 462.5±3.2 ranging from 450-475, while the month of February showed the least number of ticks with a mean of 244.5±3.8 ranging from 239-250. Dogs found to be infected with Babesia canis are all harboring ticks of the genus Rhipicephalus. Female dogs were more infected (66.7%) with Babesia canis than their male counterparts (33.3%) (p ? 0.05) and dogs within the age group of 1-6 months were more infected. Conclusion:Prevalence of ticks on dogs in this study area is relatively high and the occurrence of Babesia species is vector dependent, with ticks of the genus Rhipicephalus sanguineous being the most common vector in transmission of the parasite. Seasons also play a vital role in the prevalence of ticks and their associated haemoparasites.

No abstract