Efficacy of Injectable Ivermectin against Ascaris suum of Swine in Jimma University College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine and Missionary of Charity Swine Farms in Jimma Town, Southwestern Ethiopia

Abstract

An experimental study  was carried out from November, 2008 to February, 2009 on  two swine farms (College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine and Missionary of Charity swine farms) in Jimma town,  South western Ethiopia with the objective of evaluating the efficacy of injectable ivermectin against Ascaris suum (A.suum) (Swine ascariasis). The method of  measurement for efficacy was  fecal egg count percentage reduction (%FECR) and the mean body weight gain. The trial was conducted on 42 naturally infected pig with A. suum. The animals were screened for ascariasis and positive animals with EPG of greater or equal to 100 were weighed and randomly selected  and grouped into treatment group and control group were included under the trial. The  fecal examination was carried  out to determine EPG level in both groups. Inaddition, the body weight of each animal in the experimental group was measured. The mean EPG of treatment and control group pretreatment was 74.49  and 73.96, respectively while the mean body weight of the treatment and control group before treatment was 402.380 and 397.619, respectively. The treatment group were treated with injectable ivermectin subcutaneously with the dose rate of 0.3mg/kg. At the 7th day and 14th day posttreatment fecal examination was again carried out and the level of EPG in the treatment group was significantly reduced compared to that of control group. The mean EPG during week 1 and week 2 after treatment was 107.143  and 7.142 for treatment group and 397.619 and 390.47 for control group, respectively. This difference was statistically significant (P<0.001) as revealed by ANOVA results. The mean body weight for the treatment group and control group after treatment was 80.71 and 77.33, respectively. This difference in mean body weight gain between the teartment and control group was stastisticallly insignificant (P>0.05). Eventhough the difference in mean body weight gain between the teartment and control group after treatment is not statistically significant, the rusult of FEC showed that, injectable ivermectin is effective for treatment of A.suum in swine. Therefore, further detailed investigations are needed to evaluate the efficacy of ivermectin to control A.suum of pig in piggery farms of Ethiopia.

Keywords. Efficacy, Ivermectin., Swine, A.suum, Jimma, Ethiopia