Efficacy of albendazole against Moniezia spp. in sheep and cattle

Abstract

The paper presents results of the anthelmintic efficacy verification of albendazole in sheep and cattle naturally infected by tapeworms Moniezia expansa and M. benedeni. We tested the dose of 5 mg per 1 kg of body weight applied as a 2.5% suspension in sheep. One hundred percent efficacy of this dose was proved both in a controlled test on 12 lambs and in field studies on two flocks of ewes and lambs (amounting to 380 and 420 individuals) in which we invariably evaluated groups of 30 treated and 30 untreated control individuals using quantitative ovoscopic methods. We also studied the dynamics of the monieziosis prevalence in a flock of 70 sheep of all age categories and performed deworming using albendazole during peak infections in 1995 to 1997. Even in cases when there was a quick and repeated rise of the infection during the pasture period, the application of albendazole decreased ovoscopic findings to zero values and to considerably low prevalence in the second and third year of our study. The occurrence of monieziosis in cattle was nearly sporadic and the application of albendazole in the dose of 7.5 mg per 1 kg of body weight was 100% effective when given to individual animals as a suspension. Mass application using medicated feeds did not ensure appropriate intake of therapeutic doses in all animals treated. Monieziosis is an important health problem particularly of sheep in the Czech Republic and albendazole may be considered as a drug of choice.