Efficiency of using levamisole-based anthelmintics

Abstract

Animal parasitic diseases cause major losses to the livestock industry and require constant monitoring and control. The purpose of this study was to monitor the livestock (calves, goats, sheep, pigs, dogs, chickens) for the presence of helminthic pathogens, to determine the therapeutic efficacy of levamisole-based preparations and the general toxicity of meat of experimental animals using the Colpoda steinii test culture. In 2020-2022, a considerable spread of invasive animal diseases was detected in the Kharkiv region of Ukraine. In a study of 3,500 calves, 1,000 (28.6%) were found to be persistently infected with nematodes with an intensity of 25.0-150.0 worm eggs per 1 g of faeces. In goats, the intensity of endoparasite infection ranged within 10.0-15.0 worm eggs per 1 g of faeces, while in sheep this figure reached 25.0 worm eggs per 1 g of faeces. In the study of faeces from pigs, 800 (34.8%) samples revealed the presence of helminth eggs, while mono-infestation was detected in 300 samples (37.5%). In the study of canine faeces, 10 (66.7%) positive samples were found. When examining the manure from chickens, 200 (44.4%) positive samples revealed the presence of helminth eggs. The use of levamisole dosage forms can reduce the extent of infection in animals by 50% as early as on Day 5. No worm eggs were detected in the faeces of animals from Day 14 to Day 30 of observation, and therefore the extensional efficacy of the studied products under modern conditions is 100%. Meat obtained from farm animals (pigs, calves, sheep) treated with levamisole-based preparations shows signs of general toxicity within 5-9 days after the use of the products: 5 days for pigs and 9 days for calves and sheep. At the same time, meat obtained from poultry (chickens) treated with levamisole-based preparations shows signs of general toxicity within 2 days after the end of the treatment course.