title: Biological control of horse cyathostomin (Nematoda: Cyathostominae) using the nematophagous fungus Duddingtonia flagrans in tropical southeastern Brazil.
abstract: The viability of a fungal formulation using the nematode-trapping fungus Duddingtonia flagrans was assessed for the biological control of horse cyathostomin. Two groups (fungus-treated and control without fungus treatment), consisting of eight crossbred mares (3-18 years of age) were fed on Cynodon sp. pasture naturally infected with equine cyathostome larvae. Each animal of the treated group received oral doses of sodium alginate mycelial pellets (1g/(10 kg live weight week)), during 6 months. Significant reduction (p<0.01) in the number of eggs per gram of feces and coprocultures was found for animals of the fungus-treated group compared with the control group. There was difference (p<0.01) of 78.5% reduction in herbage samples collected up to (0-20 cm) between the fungus-treated group and the control group, during the experimental period (May-October). Difference of 82.5% (p<0.01) was found between the fungus-treated group and the control group in the sampling distance (20-40 cm) from fecal pats. During the last 3 months of the experimental period (August, September and October), fungus-treated mares had significant weight gain (p<0.01) compared with the control group, an increment of 38 kg. The treatment with sodium alginate pellets containing the nematode-trapping fungus D. flagrans reduced cyathostomin in tropical southeastern Brazil and could be an effective tool for biological control of this parasitic nematode in horses.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa-MG, Cep: 36570000, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fabio Ribeiro
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Braga
authors.forename: Jackson Victor
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Araújo
authors.forename: André Ricardo
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Juliana Milani
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Araujo
authors.forename: Rogério Oliva
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: Alexandre Oliveira
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Tavela
authors.forename: Artur Kanadani
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Campos
authors.forename: Giovanni Ribeiro
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Carvalho
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed / Q000382:microbiology*; D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D006736:Horses; D007814:Larva / Q000382:microbiology; D003904:Mitosporic Fungi / Q000502:physiology*; D010270:Parasite Egg Count / Q000662:veterinary; D010572:Pest Control, Biological / Q000379:methods*; D006109:Poaceae / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology; D011897:Random Allocation; D013319:Strongyle Infections, Equine / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013320:Strongyloidea / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000382:microbiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome