Eprinomectin pour-on: Prevention of gastrointestinal and pulmonary nematode infections in sheep

Abstract The present study was conducted to further characterize the anthelmintic activity of the 0.5% w/v topical formulation of eprinomectin (EPRINEX ® Pour-on, Merial) when administered at 1 mg/kg body weight to sheep in preventing the establishment of induced gastrointestinal and pulmonary nematode infections. Thirty-six female Merino sheep (∼4 months of age, weighing 27.0–36.0 kg) were blocked by pre-treatment body weight to form blocks of four animals. Within blocks, the animals were randomly allocated to either remain untreated (control) or be treated once with EPRINEX ® either on Day 0, Day 7 or Day 14. Starting on Day 15, the sheep were given trickle infections with infective larvae of seven species of gastrointestinal nematodes and Dictyocaulus filaria lungworms daily for seven consecutive days. Five weeks after completion of the daily challenge (Day 56), the animals were necropsied for parasite recovery and count. Treatment with EPRINEX ® prevented the establishment (>90%, p ≤ 0.027) of D. filaria, Teladorsagia circumcincta (pinnata/trifurcata), Cooperia curticei, Nematodirus battus, Trichostrongylus colubriformis and Oesophagostomum venulosum for at least 21 days, and of Haemonchus contortus and Trichostrongylus axei for at least 14 days. Sheep in the groups treated with EPRINEX ® at Days 7 and 14 had significantly (p ≤ 0.018) higher Day -1 to Day 56 wt gains than the untreated controls. No treatment-related health problems or any other health problems were observed throughout the study.