Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2019 Jan 30;86(1):e1-e5.
doi: 10.4102/ojvr.v86i1.1635.

A field study on the efficacy of ivermectin via subcutaneous route against chewing lice (Bovicola caprae) infestation in naturally infested goats

Y Ajith  1 , Umesh Dimri, A Gopalakrishnan, Gopinath Devi
Affiliations

A field study on the efficacy of ivermectin via subcutaneous route against chewing lice (Bovicola caprae) infestation in naturally infested goats

Y Ajith et al. Onderstepoort J Vet Res. .

Abstract

Caprine pediculosis is an ectoparasitic disease of great concern among goat farmers in India. It may be caused by either sucking lice or chewing lice; the latter one results in severe skin lesions, leading to production loss. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the macrocytic lactone drug, ivermectin, administered via subcutaneous injection, against chewing lice Bovicola (Damalinia) caprae infestation in naturally infested goats. The study was conducted on 20 goats with severe B. caprae infestation. Animals of group A (n = 10) were treated using a single dose of ivermectin (200 µg/kg body weight) subcutaneously and animals of group B (n = 10) underwent placebo therapy using normal saline. The animals were examined on days 0, 3, 7, 14, 21, 28, 42 and 56 for lice counts. There was 100% elimination of lice in all animals of group A and effective protection from re-infection remained at least for 21 days. Considerable improvement in haematological parameters was also observed by day 21. Based on this study, ivermectin injected via a subcutaneous route can be used effectively for the therapeutic and prophylactic management of chewing lice infestation in goats maintained under an extensive grazing system.

Keywords: caprine; chewing lice; ivermectin; pediculosis; subcutaneous route.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no financial or personal relationships that may have inappropriately influenced them in writing this article.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Effect of ivermectin (200 µg/kg body weight via subcutaneous route) on mean number of lice (Bovicola caprae).
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Alterations in haematological profile of lice (Bovicola caprae) infested goats before and after treatment (mean).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Abbott W.S., 1925, ‘A method of computing the effectiveness of an insecticide’, Journal of Economic Entomology 18, 265–267. 10.1093/jee/18.2.265a - DOI - PubMed
    1. Adesh K., Rawat B.S., Saxena A.K. & Agarwal G.P., 1994, ‘Prevalence of ectoparasites on goats of Dehradun (India)’, Applied Parasitology 35, 227–236. - PubMed
    1. Ajith Y., Dimri U., Gopalakrishnan A. & Devi G., 2017a, ‘A study on prevalence and factors associated with ectoparasitism in goats of two agro-climatic regions in India’, Journal of Parasitic Diseases 41(3), 739–746. 10.1007/s12639-017-0881-y - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ajith Y., Dimri U., Singh S.K., Gopalakrishnan A., Devi G., Verma M.R. et al. , 2017b, ‘Lice induced immuno-oxidative wreckage of goats’, Veterinary Parasitology 242, 24–30. 10.1016/j.vetpar.2017.05.019 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Canga A.G., Prieto A.M.S., Liébana M.J.D., Martínez N.F., Vega M.S. & Vieitez J.J.G., 2009, ‘The pharmacokinetics and metabolism of ivermectin in domestic animal species’, The Veterinary Journal 179(1), 25–37. 10.1016/j.tvjl.2007.07.011 - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources