title: Activity of closantel against experimentally induced Fascioloides magna infection in sheep.
abstract: The efficacy of closantel against experimentally induced Fascioloides magna infection in sheep was studied. In each of 3 experiments, closantel was administered 8 weeks after the sheep were given (oral inoculation) 100 metacercariae of F magna. In the 1st experiment, closantel was given orally to 5 groups of 6 sheep each at dosages of 0 (nontreated control), 5, 7.5, 10, and 15 mg/kg of body weight. In the 2nd and 3rd experiments, groups of 10 or 12 sheep were treated to confirm the efficacy of the previously determined optimal dosage of 15 mg/kg. An additional group of sheep (n = 10) was used in the 3rd experiment to evaluate the efficacy of closantel given IM at a dosage of 7.5 mg/kg. Closantel given orally at a dosage level of 15 mg/kg was highly effective (94.6% to 97.7%) in reducing F magna burdens. Also, pathologic scores associated with the F magna infection were reduced by 81.3% to 92.6% in sheep given this dosage of closantel. Efficacy of the IM administered dosage of 7.5 mg of drug/kg was equivalent to that of the 15 mg/kg oral dosage. Other than mild, transient lameness of the limbs which were injected with the drug (group 10), side effects were not observed.
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D005212:Fasciolidae; D005260:Female; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D012457:Salicylamides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012458:Salicylanilides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014201:Trematode Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D012457:Salicylamides; D012458:Salicylanilides; C023342:closantel