The speed of kill of fluralaner (Bravecto™) against Ixodes ricinus ticks on dogs

Abstract

BackgroundPathogens that are transmitted by ticks to dogs, such as Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Babesia spp., Borrelia burgdorferi sensu latu, and Ehrlichia canis, are an increasing problem in the world. One method to prevent pathogen transmission to dogs is to kill the ticks before transmission occurs. Fluralaner (Bravecto™) is a novel isoxazoline insecticide and acaricide that provides long persistent antiparasitic activity following systemic administration. This study investigated the speed of kill of fluralaner against Ixodes ricinus ticks on dogs.MethodsA total of 48 dogs were randomized to 8 groups of 6 dogs and each dog was infested with 50 female and 10 male I. ricinus ticks. Two days later (day 0), 4 groups received a single treatment of 25 mg fluralaner/kg body weight as Bravecto™ chewable tablets; the dogs in the other 4 groups were left untreated. Separate control and treatment groups were paired at each time point (4, 8, 12, or 24 hours after treatment) for assessment of tick-killing efficacy. At 4, 8, and 12 weeks after treatment, all dogs were re-infested with 50 female I. ricinus ticks and subsequently assessed for live or dead ticks at either 4, 8, 12, or 24 hours after re-infestation. Efficacy was calculated for each assessment time point by comparison of the treatment group with the respective control group.ResultsTick-killing efficacy was 89.6% at 4 hours, 97.9% at 8 hours, and 100% at 12 and 24 hours after treatment. Eight hours after re-infestation, efficacy was 96.8%, 83.5%, and 45.8% at 4, 8, and 12 weeks after treatment, respectively. At least 98.1% tick-killing efficacy was demonstrated 12 and 24 hours after re-infestation over the entire 12 week study period.ConclusionsFluralaner kills ticks rapidly after treatment at 4 hours, and over its entire 12-week period of efficacy, it achieves an almost complete killing effect within 12 hours after tick infestation. The rapid tick-killing effect together with the long duration of efficacy enables fluralaner to aid in the prevention of tick borne diseases.

Efficacy of fluralaner against canine generalized demodicosis

“…As observed by other authors (Taenzler et al, 2014;Wengenmayer et al, 2014;Fourie et al 2015), no side effects were observed in the current study. The drugs normally used to treat generalized demodicosis may have some side effects (Sartor e Santarem, 2006;Singh et al, 2011, Delayte et al, 2006; however, fluralaner treatment was both effective and safe.…”

“…Fluralaner belongs to this new class and has prolonged activity against fleas and ticks after a single oral dose (Kilp et al, 2014) of 25 mg/kg, with no adverse effects observed during a safety trial, even at higher doses (Walther et al, 2014). No side effects were observed by the authors of previous studies either (Taenzler et al, 2014;Wengenmayer et al, 2014;Fourie et al, 2015). However, one study reported inappetence, vomiting, and diarrhea (Rohdich et al, 2014).…”

Evaluation of fluralaner as an oral acaricide to reduce tick infestation in a wild rodent reservoir of Lyme disease

“…Isoxazolines, like sarolaner and afoxolaner, have been shown to kill adult ticks and prevent B. burgdorferi transmission in dogs [21,22]. Fluralaner, another member of this new family, is noted for its ability to kill ticks rapidly and for its long efficacy period following a single oral administration, when used in dogs [23,24]. Wengenmayer et al [24] showed that, in dogs, fluralaner (Bravecto TM chewable formulation) killed 98% of infesting adult Ixodes ricinus ticks within 24 hours following a single oral administration up to 12 weeks post-treatment.…”

A Single Amino Acid Substitution in the Third Transmembrane Region Has Opposite Impacts on the Selectivity of the Parasiticides Fluralaner and Ivermectin for Ligand-Gated Chloride Channels

“…Fluralaner (Bravecto) (Fig. 1) is a recently marketed isoxazoline ectoparasiticide that is used for flea and tick protection in pets (Taenzler et al, 2014;Wengenmayer et al, 2014). This compound inhibits agonist responses in both GABACls and GluCls, with selectivity for the former over the latter (Ozoe et al, 2010), whereas IVM is a selective activator or modulator for GluCls (Fuse et al, 2016).…”