title: Prevention of Babesia canis in dogs: efficacy of a fixed combination of permethrin and fipronil (Effitix®) using an experimental transmission blocking model with infected Dermacentor reticulatus ticks.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Two experimental studies using a transmission blocking model with Dermacentor reticulatus ticks infected with Babesia canis were performed to test the ability of Effitix® to prevent the transmission of babesiosis in dogs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four groups of seven dogs (experiment 1) and one group of eight dogs (experiment 2) were treated topically with a novel combination of fipronil and permethrin in a spot-on formulation (Effitix®, Virbac) respectively 28, 21, 14 and 7 days (experiment 1) and 2 days (experiment 2) prior to tick infestation. In each study, a control group of seven dogs (experiment 1) and eight dogs (experiment 2) remained untreated. On day 0, all dogs were infested with adult D.reticulatus ticks harboring B. canis. An efficacy failure (successfully infected) was regarded as a dog in the treated groups that was tested serologically positive for B.canis antibodies, using an indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) assay and tested positive for B.canis by DNA-assay using PCR analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  B.canis was transmitted by D.reticulatus to all untreated dogs (experiment 1) and six untreated dogs out of eight (experiment 2) as confirmed by IFA and PCR assays. The large majority of treated dogs (92.9% in experiment 1 and 100% in experiment 2) remained sero-negative over the challenge period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The treatment of dogs with Effitix® applied 2 to 28 days prior to infestation with D. reticulatus harboring B.canis, successfully prevented the transmission of canine babesiosis.
authors.affiliation: Virbac, 13ième rue - LID, 06511, Carros, France. christelle.navarro@virbac.com.
authors.forename: Christelle
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Navarro
authors.affiliation: Nadege Savelli EIRL, 2, rue de l'église, 06 270, Villeneuve Loubet, France. nadege.savelli@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Nadège
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Reymond
authors.affiliation: ClinVet International, P.O. Box 11186, 9321, Universitas, South Africa. Josephus.Fourie@clinvet.com.
authors.forename: Josephus
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fourie
authors.affiliation: KLIFOVET AG, Geyerspergerstr. 27, 80689, Munich, Germany. Klaus.Hellmann@klifovet.de.
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hellmann
authors.affiliation: Virbac, 13ième rue - LID, 06511, Carros, France. stephane.bonneau@virbac.com.
authors.forename: Stéphane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bonneau
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001403:Babesia / Q000187:drug effects*; D001404:Babesiosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003870:Dermacentor / Q000187:drug effects / Q000469:parasitology*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004285:Dogs; D007306:Insecticides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D026023:Permethrin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011720:Pyrazoles / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D007306:Insecticides; D011720:Pyrazoles; D026023:Permethrin; C082360:fipronil