The Effect of Ivermectin Pour-on Administration Against Natural Heterakis gallinarum Infestation and its Prevalence in Native Poultry

Problem statement: One of the real problems that cause the economic prejudice in animal farms yearly is parasitic diseases. To overcome these problems the use of antiparasitic drugs is necessary. Ivermectin is a broad spectrum antiparasitic agent and different routes of its administration such as injection, oral and pour-on were used. The aims of the current study were evaluation of the efficacy of ivermectin pour-on administration against natural Heterakis gallinarum infection in native poultry and also determination the prevalence rate of this parasite in Tabriz area. Approach:In the present study, 120 native poultry were investigated by Egg Per Gram of feces (EPG) feces test. Willis method was applied for feces test and Mack-master slide method was used for counting nematode eggs. After confirming the infection with worms, Ivermectin (0.5 mg kg⁻¹) pour-on was administrated to infected birds. Fecal examination was repeated in 1, 7, 21 and 28 days post treatment. Results: Results showed that total prevalence of Heterakis gallinarum infection was 21.66% in native poultry of Tabriz area. Efficacy rate of ivermectin pour-on was 59.14, 87.87, 97.65 and 99.57% in 1, 7, 21 and 28 days respectively. Conclusion: In conclusion, the effect of this drug against Heterakis gallinarum resulted in reduction in egg count exceeded 98% (p<0.05), so this drug can be used in antiparasitic program in poultry. Further investigations are necessary to evaluate the drug effect on other nematodes and parasitic infections.