title: Control of Filaroides hirthi infections in Beagle dogs by ivermectin.
abstract: The efficacy of ivermectin against Filaroides hirthi was evaluated in a series of three trials using Beagle dogs of a breeding colony known to be endemically infected with this lungworm. Ivermectin was subcutaneously given at a dosage of 1 mg kg-1 bodyweight once to 40 (group A) or, at a one week interval, twice to 32 dogs (group B) 14-15 weeks prior to necropsy; another 40 dogs (group C) remained untreated. All animals were necropsied and lungs were digested using the pepsin-hydrochloride method and qualitatively examined for Filaroides spp. stages. A 44.8% and 74.1% reduction of the prevalence of lungworm infection as well as a 87.5% and 94.8% reduction of the proportion of dogs harbouring first-stage Filaroides spp. larvae were found in groups A and B, respectively, as compared to group C. These results suggest that repeated treatments of breeding dogs with ivermectin might reduce the transmission of F. hirthi infection to their offspring.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Parasitology, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bahnemann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D005368:Filariasis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D005369:Filaricides / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005370:Filarioidea / Q000187:drug effects*; D007559:Ivermectin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008168:Lung / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence
chemical_list: D005369:Filaricides; D007559:Ivermectin