Biological Control of Parasites

Abstract

Parasites (ectoparasites or endoparasites) are a major cause of diseases in man, his livestock and crops, leading to poor yield and great economic loss. To overcome some of the major limitations of chemical control methods such as rising resistance, environmental and health risks, and the adverse effect on non-target organisms, biological control (biocontrol) is now at the forefront of parasite (pests) control. Biocontrol is now a core component of the integrated pest management. Biocontrol is defined as "the study and uses of parasites, predators and pathogens for the regulation of host (pest) densities". Considerable successes have been achieved in the implementation of biocontrol strategies in the past. This chapter presents a review of the history of biocontrol, its advantages and disadvantages; the different types of biological control agents (BCAs) including predators, parasites (parasitoids) and pathogens (fungi, bacteria, viruses and virus-like particles, protozoa and nematodes); the effect of biocontrol on native biodiversity; a few case studies of the successful implementation of biocontrol methods and the challenges encountered with the implementation of biocontrol and future perspectives.

Prevalence of endo‐ and ecto‐parasites of equines in Iran: A systematic review

“…Control of parasitic infections of equines and other livestock can be achieved using chemical and biological control methods (Kwenti, 2017). Many biological products are available in the markets that have a proven track record to effectively reduce parasite infections in livestock, including the nematopathogenic fungi ( Duddingtonia flagrans ) (Kwenti, 2017), which make a more suitable alternative to the chemical methods.…”

“…parasites living on the body surfaces of the host) or endoparasites (i.e. parasites living inside the host), the latter can be further classified as protozoa or helminths (Kwenti, 2017). Ticks, especially the hard ticks (Ixodidae), are the most frequent ectoparasites reported in equines (Davari et al., 2017).…”

Current Problems of Agrarian Industry in Ukraine

“…During the World War II, a steep decrease in activity in biological control occurred, and after the war, it did not become popular due to production of relatively cheap synthetic pesticides. Biological control was revived as the main component of the conception of integrated pest management (IPM) only in the late 1960 s (Kwenti, 2017).…”

“…-Badly prepared biological control can lead to rapid changes in the natural biodiversity (Kwenti, 2017).…”

Parasites of beetles which are pests of grain and products of its processing

“…К ним относятся безопасность для окружающей среды, отсутствие остатков, экономичность, простота в применении, продолжительность действия, отсутствие выработки устойчивости вредителей. К недостаткам биологического контроля можно отнести возможные сложности доставки, хранения и применения естественных врагов; дороговизна по сравнению с другими методами, связанная с предварительными исследованиями; невысокая скорость контроля из-за отставания между приростом численности популяции вредителей и приростом вида-регулятора (Kwenti, 2017).…”