Anthelmintic efficiency of fenbendazole in equines.

This research studied the effectiveness of a drug called fenbendazole in treating horse and donkey parasites. They successfully tested a single oral dose of the drug at a specific dosage on donkeys and found it was effective against several types of parasitic worms, a finding that was also confirmed in horses.

Explanation of the Research

This research article is centered around an investigation of the treatment of parasitic worms in equines (horses and donkeys) using a drug named fenbendazole (FBZ). The approach, dosage, and effect of the drug on various worm species were studied.

• The researchers conducted the study by administering a single oral dose of fenbendazole at a dosage of 10 mg per kilogram of body weight to five donkeys. Another set of five donkeys were given medicated licks containing 1 milligram of FBZ per gram of lick until their consumption equated to 10 milligrams of the drug per kilogram of their body weight. It appears the scientists used two different methods of administration to compare their effectiveness.
• The effect of the drug was measured according to its ability to treat adult worms of different genera such as Cyathostomum, Cylicocyclus, Cylicostephanus, Cylicodontophorus, Poteriostomum, Cabellonema, Craterostomum, and Triodontophorus. The drug showed high efficiency in treating worms of these genera.
• Additionally, the drug was shown to be highly effective against specific species of worms, namely Habronema majus, Habronema musca, Strongylus vulgaris, and Oxyuris equi, as well as worms classified under the subfamily Cyathostominae.
• The results obtained from the donkeys were also observed in horses, which validated the effectiveness of FBZ not just on a single species, but across different equine types. Furthermore, the same dosage of FBZ showed high effectiveness against three more species of worms found in horses: Gyalocephalus capitatus, Oesophagodontos robustus, and Parascaris equorum.

Conclusions

The researchers concluded that fenbendazole is a highly effective anthelmintic (worm treatment) for equines. The drug, when given at a dosage of 10 mg/kg, showed high efficacy against multiple genera and species of worms. They found no major differences between the single oral dose and medicated lick method, suggesting that the drug’s effectiveness may not be significantly impacted by its method of administration.