Multicentric study on the efficacy of toltrazuril as metaphylactical treatment against naturally acquired coccidiosis in housed Iambs

摘要

The efficacy of a metaphylactical treatment with toltrazuril (Baycox~R 5% suspension) against ovine coccidiosis, with special regard to the pathogenic species Eimeria (E.) ovinoidalis and E. crandallis, was investigated in a multicentric field study.120 male lambs aged 1 to 5 days were selected on study day (SD) 1. On SD 12 the lambs were randomly assigned to two study groups (toltrazuril-treated and control group). Lambs of the treated group received a single oral dose of toltrazuril (20 mg/kg bodyweight). From SD 13 to SD 49 faecal samples were collected at two-day-intervals. Efficacy assessment was based on total oocyst excretion, excretion of oocysts of E. ovinoidalis and E. crandallis as well as faecal consistency throughout the study. Subclinical to moderate clinical coccidiosis was observed in all farms. In the toltrazuril-treated group, the level and duration of oocyst excretion of Eimeria spp. as well as level and duration of coccidia-related diarrhoea were significantly reduced comparedto the control group. In regard to E. ovinoidalis and E. crandallis, the number of positive samples and level of oocyst excretion were significantly reduced by toltrazuril treatment. In general, the results obtained by the analysis over all farms also applied to the single farms. In this study a single metaphylactic treatment with toltrazuril proved to be highly effective in the control of ovine coccidiosis, in particular it showed high efficacy against E. ovinoidalis and E. crandallis.