Evaluation of amprolium and toltrazuril efficacy in controlling natural intestinal rabbit coccidiosis

Document Type : Full paper (Original article)

Authors

1 Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, South Valley University, Qena, Egypt

2 Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, South Valley University, Qena, Egypt

Abstract

This trial was undertaken with the objective to evaluate the efficacy of amprolium, toltrazuril and their combination in rabbits naturally infected with Eimeria species (32 × 103 ± 4.63 oocysts per gram (OPG) of faeces). Thirty-six rabbits (11 weeks old with average body weight (BW) 2000 ± 75 g), were randomly allocated into six groups (six kits each), namely, negative untreated and was retained as negative control (group 1), infected and kept untreated (group 2), treated with single oral dose of amprolium at 50 mg/kg BW for 5 days (group 3), received toltrazuril at 5 mg/kg BW for 2 days (group 4), treated orally with toltrazuril at 2.5 mg/kg BW, two doses with 5 day interval (group 5) and given oral doses of both amprolium and toltrazuril at 50 mg and 5 mg/kg BW (group 6), respectively. Clinical signs, mortalities, production data (feed consumption, feed conversion rate, BW, body weight gain (BWG), and performance index (PI)), OPG of faeces and the percentage of OPG reduction were recorded. The results indicated that both toltrazuril, amprolium and their concurrent use significantly (P<0.05) reduced OPG and effectively controlled coccidiosis related mortality, fully abolished the clinical signs, improved feed consumption, BW, weight gain and feed conversion rate. From the observations of the present study it can be concluded that the oral administration of both drugs and their combined use ameliorated the adverse impacts of intestinal coccidiosis in rabbits as therapeutic, but the concurrent use of both drugs was more superior.

Keywords


Abakar, AD; Seri, HI; Ismail, AA and Musa, HH (2005). Comparative efficacy of selected anticoccidial drug in Ambarorow sheep naturally infected with enteric coccidia in South Darfur, Sudan. Sudan J. Vet. Res., 20: 61-67.
Al-Quraishy, S (2012). Exogenous and endogenous stages of Eimeria perforans naturally infected domestic rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in Saudi Arabia: light microscopic study. Saudi J. Biol. Sci., 19: 31-34. doi: 10.1016/j.sjbs. 2011.09.003.
Balicka-Ramisz, A (1999). The usefulness of Baycox (Bayer) for coccidiosis control of lambs. Wiad. Parazytol., 45: 187-191.
Borenstein, M; Rothstein, H and Cohen, J (1997). Sample power: release 1.00. Chicago, IL: SPSS Inc.
Dowling, L (1992). Ionophore toxicity in chickens: a review of pathology and diagnosis. Avian Pathol., 21: 355-368.
Eckert, J; Taylor, M; Catchpole, J; Licois, D; Coudert, P and Bucklar, H (1995). Identification of Eimeria species and strains. Morphological characteristics of oocysts. In: Eckert, J; Braun, R; Shirley, MW and Coudert, P (Eds.), Biotechnology: Guidelines on Techniques in Coccidiosis Research. Office for Official Publications of the European Communities. Luxembourg. PP: 113-116.
González-Redondo, P; Finzi, A; Negretti, P and Micci, M (2008). Incidence of coccidiosis in different rabbit keeping systems. Arq. Bras. Med. Vet. Zootec., 60: 1267-1270.
Graat, EAM; Kooij, E; Frankena, K; Henken, AM; Smeets, JFM and Hekerman, MTJ (1998). Quantifying risk factors of coccidiosis in broilers using on-farm data based on a veterinary practice. Prev. Vet. Med., 33: 297-308.
Grèes, V; Voza, T; Chabaud, A and Landau, I (2003). Coccidiosis of the wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in France. Parasite. 10: 51-57.
Greuel, E and Ruhrmann, U (1986). Effectiveness of various dosage concentrations and administration times of Baycox® medication in experimental chicken coccidiosis in caged conditions. Dtsch. Tierztl. Wochenschr., 93: 29-33.
Grief, G (2000). Immunity to coccidiosis after treatment with toltrazuril. Parasitol. Res., 86: 787-790.
Hauptman, K; Tichy, F and Knotek, Z (2001). Clinical diagnostics of hepatopathies in small mammals: evaluation of importance of individual methods. Acta Vet. Brno., 70: 297-11. doi: 10.2754/avb200170030297.
Iqbal, A; Tariq, KA; Wazir, VS and Singh, R (2013). Antiparasitic efficacy of Artemisia absinthium toltrazuril and amprolium against intestinal coccidiosis in goats. J. Parasit. Dis., 37: 88-93.
Jithendran, KP and Bhat, TK (1996). Subclinical coccidiosis of Angora rabbits, a field survey in Himachal Pradesh, India. World Rabbit Sci., 4: 29-32.
McDougald, LR and Reid, WM (1997). Coccidiosis. In: Calnek, BW (Ed.), Diseases of poultry. (10th Edn.), USA, IowaStateUniversity, Press Ames. PP: 865-883.
Mehlhorn, H; Ortmann-Falkenstein, G and Haberkorn, A (1984). The effects of sym. Triazinones on developmental stages of Eimeria tenella, E. maxima and E. acervulina: a light and electron microscopical study. Z. Parasitenkd., 70: 173-182.
Morand-Fehr, P; Richard, A; Tessier, J and Hervieu, J (2002). Effects of decoquinate on the growth and milk performance of young female goats. Small Rumin. Res., 45: 109-114.
Moskey, HE and Harwood, PD (1941). Methods of evaluating the efficacy of antihelmintics. Am. J. Vet. Res., 2: 55-59.
Mukiibi-Muka, G; Otim, MO; Musisi, G; Illango, J; Galiwango, T and Olaho-Mukani, W (2001). Com-parative study on the efficacy of Diclazuril and Amprolium in naturally infected broilers in Uganda. Rev. Elev. Med. Vet. Pays Trop., 54: 33-35.
Mundt, HC; Daugschies, A; Uebe, F and Rinke, M (2003). Efficacy of toltrazuril against artificial infections with Eimeria bovis in calves. Parasitol. Res., 3: S166-S167. doi: 10.1007/s00436-003-0929-z.
North, MO (1984). Commercial chicken production manual. 3rd Edn., California, USA, AVI Publishing Company. P: 710.
Oncel, T; Gulegen, E; Senlik, B and Bakirci, S (2011). Intestinal coccidiosis in angora rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) caused by Eimeria intestinalis, Eimeria perforans and Eimeria coecicola. YYU Veteriner. Fakultesi. Dergisi., 22: 27-29.
Paklandl, M (2009). Coccidia of rabbit: a review. Folia Parasitol., 56: 153-166.
Peek, HW and Landman, WJM (2003). Resistance to anticoccidial drugs of Dutch avian Eimeria spp. field isolates originating from 1996, 1999 and 2001. Avian Pathol., 32: 391-401.
Peeters, JE and Geeroms, R (1986). Efficacy of toltrazuril against intestinal and hepatic coccidiosis in rabbits. Vet. Parasitol., 22: 21-35.
Pritchard, MH and Kruse, GO (1982). The collection and preservation of animal parasites. Technical Bulletin No. 1. The Harold W. Manter Laboratory, University of Nebraska Press. PP: 120-141.
Redrobe, SP; Gakos, G; Elliot, SC; Saunders, R; Martin, S and Morgan, ER (2010). Comparison of toltrazuril and sulphadimethoxine in the treatment of intestinal coccidiosis in pet rabbits. Vet. Rec., 167: 287-290. doi: 10.1136/vr. c3453.
Shameem, H; Devada, K and Mammen, AJ (2011). Clinico-pathological effects of intestinal coccidiosis in rabbits. Indian J. Vet. Pathol., 35: 215-216.
Singla, LD; Juyal, PD and Sandhu, BS (2000). Pathology and therapy in naturally Eimeria stiedae infected rabbits. J. Protozool. Res., 10: 185-191.
Svensson, C (1998). Prevention of Eimeria alabamensis
coccidiosis by along-acting baquiloprim/sulphadimidine bolus. Vet. Parasitol., 74: 143-152.
Taylor, MA; Coop, RL and Wall, RL (2007). Veterinary parasitology. 3rd Edn., Oxford, UK, Blackwell Publishing. PP: 1385-1398.
Zulpo, DL; Peretti, J; Ono, LM; Longhi, E; Oliveira, MR; Guimaraes, IG; Headley, SA; Junior, J and Garcia, JL (2007). Pathogenicity and histopathological, observations of commercial broiler chicks experimentally infected with isolates of Eimeria tenella, E. acervulina and E. maxima. Semin: Ciênc. Agrár., 28: 97-104.