Efficacy of a 2 per cent moxidectin gel against gastrointestinal parasites of ponies.

The research paper investigates how effective a 2% moxidectin gel is at tackling different gastrointestinal parasites in young ponies. The results indicate that the gel has a significant impact on most parasites, although some remained unaffected.

Methodology

• The study was conducted on 16 ponies, naturally infected with various gastrointestinal parasites. Half of these were treated with a dose of moxidectin and the remainder were given only a placebo.
• The researchers monitored the animals for two weeks post-treatment, during which time they were all necropsied (examined after death).
• Throughout the study, faecal samples were collected and checked daily for egg counts and larval cultures to identify the parasite species present.
• The researchers also retrieved parasites from the pony’s gastrointestinal tracts at the time of necropsy for further examination.

Findings

• The application of moxidectin effectively reduced the egg counts of strongyle parasites by over 99% three days post-treatment, although some ponies remained positive for up to 10 days. However, moxidectin demonstrated little to no ovicidal (egg-killing) activity.
• The treatment was 99-100% effective against various luminal stages of parasitic species including parascaris equorum, Strongylus vulgaris, and Triodontophorus among others. Moxidectin also completely removed adult S edentatus parasites.
• The gel proved 95% effective against the third stage larvae of Gasterophilus intestinalis. Luminal nematode stages were successfully obliterated within a few days. Additionally, bot parasites were continually eliminated for at least a fortnight following the treatment.
• However, moxidectin demonstrated no effect against the Anoplocephala perforliata parasite. The treatment was 100% effective against Habronema muscae but only showed a 76% efficacy against encysted small strongyle larvae – a difference that wasn’t statistically significant.

Conclusion

• The study concludes that the 2% moxidectin gel could be a potent treatment for various gastrointestinal parasites in ponies. Nonetheless, some parasites such as A. perforliata and small strongyle larvae exhibited resistance to the treatment.
• Further research may be necessary to improve the gel’s efficacy against these resilient parasites and to determine the treatment’s long-term effects.