title: Coadministration of nematophagous fungi for biological control over gastrointestinal helminths in sheep in the semiarid region of northeastern Brazil.
abstract: This study aimed to evaluate coadministration of Duddingtonia flagrans and Monacrosporium thaumasium in a sodium alginate matrix for controlling gastrointestinal helminths in young and adult sheep in the semiarid region of northeastern Brazil. An area of 1ha was divided into two paddocks, in which two experimental groups (fungus and control) were formed, each consisting of six adult females and ten young males. In each group, two subgroups were formed in accordance with the animal category (adult or young). In the fungus group, each animal received 3g of pellets containing 0.6g of fungal mycelium, with 0.3g of D. flagrans and 0.3g of M. thaumasium for each 10 kg of body weight, in their feed twice a week, for six months. In the control group, each animal received 3g of pellets without fungus for each 10 kg of body weight, in their feed twice a week, for six months, serving as a witness group. Reductions in numbers of eggs per gram of feces of 76% among the adult sheep in the fungus group and 83% among the young sheep in the fungus group were observed, in comparison with their respective control subgroups. The groups that received these fungi needed less salvage deworming and presented better packed cell volume percentages, better weight gain and lower levels of L3/kg dry matter in their paddock than the control groups. Thus, it was concluded that coadministration of D. flagrans and M. thaumasium was effective in controlling gastrointestinal helminths of adults and young sheep in the semiarid region of northeastern Brazil.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Parasitologia Veterinária, Instituto Federal da Paraíba (IFPB), 58800-97 Sousa, PB, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Campina Grande (UFCG), 58.108-110 Patos, PB, Brazil. Electronic address: vilelavlr@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Vinícius Longo Ribeiro
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Vilela
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Parasitologia Veterinária, Instituto Federal da Paraíba (IFPB), 58800-97 Sousa, PB, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Campina Grande (UFCG), 58.108-110 Patos, PB, Brazil.
authors.forename: Thais Ferreira
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Feitosa
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV), 36.570-000 Viçosa, MG, Brazil; Universidade Vila Velha, 29.102.770 Vila Velha, ES, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fabio Ribeiro
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Braga
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV), 36.570-000 Viçosa, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Jackson Victor de
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Araújo
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Campina Grande (UFCG), 58.108-110 Patos, PB, Brazil.
authors.forename: Antonielson dos
authors.initials: Ad
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Campina Grande (UFCG), 58.108-110 Patos, PB, Brazil.
authors.forename: Dayana Firmino de
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Morais
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Campina Grande (UFCG), 58.108-110 Patos, PB, Brazil.
authors.forename: Diego Vagner de Oliveira
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Souto
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Campina Grande (UFCG), 58.108-110 Patos, PB, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Célia Rodrigues
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Athayde
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001203:Ascomycota / Q000502:physiology*; D001938:Brazil; D059586:Duddingtonia / Q000502:physiology*; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D006374:Helminthiasis, Animal / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006376:Helminths / Q000502:physiology; D006400:Hematocrit; D007814:Larva; D008297:Male; D010572:Pest Control, Biological; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015430:Weight Gain
keywords: Duddingtonia flagrans; Monacrosporium thaumasium; Nematophagous fungi; Sheep farming