Comparative efficacy of major anthelmintic against naturally infected Fasciola species infection in local sheep at Debre-Birhan Agricultural Research Center, Ethiopia

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of eight major anthelmintic against Fasciola species in naturally infected sheep. In a randomized trial, 90 sheep were divided into 8 treatment groups of 10 animals each and one untreated control group of ten sheep. Prior to treatment, the animals were examined for Fasciola eggs. After the examination, they were found positive. On day zero, each group was administered to one of the following eight anthelmintic; Albex 10 %, Expitol, Tribex 10 %, Fascinex (Triclabendazole), Zerofen 10%, Albendazole, Ridafluke, and Tetraclozan. Faecal samples from each animal were examined for Fasciola eggs on day zero and then on 7, 10, 14, 21 days and 10 weeks post treatment using the sedimentation technique. Necropsy examination was performed on selected animals for 21 days and 10 weeks of post treatment on selected animals. Ridafluke showed highest efficacy against fascioliasis with 99.6 mature and 94.3 of immature worm count reduction proportion for 21 days post treatment and 91.8 % of adult worm reduction 10 weeks after treatment followed by Tribex 10% solution that showed 96 % and 98.7 % mature and immature worm count reduction, respectively, and 83.6% after 10 weeks post treatments. On the contrary, Fascinex (Triclabendazole) treatment group yielded much lower efficacy with mean 98.3% of mature Fasciola worms being recovered after 10 weeks post treatments. On the other hand, the adult Fasciola worm recovery showed high resistance in all broad spectrums anthelmintic treatment groups where Expitol and Tetraclozan showed 64 % and 63.3 % reduction of adult worms. The findings of this study indicated that the treatment group of Ridafluke and Tribex 10% showed highest efficacy and is a primary drug of choice against Fasciolosis in sheep of the study area