Literature Survey

EPE C., VON SAMSON-HIMMELSTJERNA G., WIRTHERLE N., VON DER HEYDEN V., WELZ C., BEENING J., RADELOFF I., HELLMANN K., SCHNIEDER T., KRIEGER K., (2005):
Efficacy of toltrazuril as a metaphylactic and therapeutic treatment of coccidiosis in first-year grazing calves.
Parasitol Res. 2005 Oct;97 Suppl 1:S127-33.

MUNDT HC., BANGOURA B., RINKE M., ROSENBRUCH M., DAUGSCHIES A., (2005):
Pathology and treatment of Eimeria zuernii coccidiosis in calves: investigations in an infection model.
Parasitol Int. 2005 Dec;54(4):223-30.´

EPE C., VON SAMSON-HIMMELSTJERNA G., WIRTHERLE N., VON DER HEYDEN V., WELZ C., BEENING J., RADELOFF I., HELLMANN K., SCHNIEDER T., KRIEGER K.,:

Efficacy of toltrazuril as a metaphylactic and therapeutic treatment of coccidiosis in first-year grazing calves.
Two studies were conducted in the Eimeria zuernii infection model in order to investigate the pathology of E. zuernii coccidiosis and the efficacy of toltrazuril (Baycox 5% suspension) in this infection. For this purpose, a total of 30 calves were infected experimentally with E. zuernii oocysts and faecal samples taken regularly from the rectum and examined for faecal consistency and oocyst excretion. Six of the calves underwent pathological examination at various points in time after infection. Significant macroscopic and microscopic changes were demonstrated and parasitic stages were identified in the intestinal mucosa of infected calves during the late prepatent and patent period. Inflammatory reactions revealed by light microscopy were confirmed by electron microscopical investigations. Treatment of calves with toltrazuril during the late prepatent period resulted in significantly lower frequencies of diarrhoea and levels of oocyst excretion, and weight gain was significantly higher than in shamtreated animals.

MUNDT HC., BANGOURA B., RINKE M., ROSENBRUCH M., DAUGSCHIES A.,:

Pathology and treatment of Eimeria zuernii coccidiosis in calves: investigations in an infection model.
A multicentric, placebo-controlled, randomised, blinded and blocked field study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of toltrazuril (Baycox((R)), Bayer AG, Leverkusen, Germany) in the treatment of coccidiosis in first-year grazing calves naturally infected with Eimeria spp. Three-hundred and thirty-one calves were enrolled in the study and allocated to one of two treatments at a ratio of 1:1. One hundred and sixty-seven animals were treated once orally with 15 mg/kg toltrazuril, and 164 animals served as placebo-treated controls. Two treatment regimes were compared, a metaphylactic (treatment on the day, or 1 day after, turn out) and a therapeutic treatment (4 or 7 days after turn out). During an observation period of 14 days after treatment the animals were clinically examined for diarrhoea and faecal samples were regularly assessed for Eimeria oocysts. Other possible causes of diarrhoea were excluded on the basis of microbiological and virological examination. Animals were predominantly infected with Eimeria alabamensis. Number of days with diarrhoea in animals treated with toltrazuril was significantly lower compared to the placebo-treated group (therapeutic treatment: P=0.0024; metaphylactic treatment: P<0.0001). Furthermore, the number of animals with diarrhoea during the observation period for a minimum of at least 3 days, the number of animals positive for Eimeria oocysts, and the number of animals with both diarrhoea for a period of at least 3 days and positive for Eimeria oocysts, were signiflicantly lower (P<0.01), in the toltrazuril- compared to the placebo-treated animals. Body weight in the toltrazuril-treated animals significantly exceeded that of the placebo-treated animals at the end of the observation period. Mean difference in body weight was higher in the metaphylactic (+7.3 kg) compared to the therapeutic treatment group (+3.4 kg). No adverse reactions were observed. The results indicate that toltrazuril is highly efficacious and safe in the metaphylactic and therapeutic treatment of coccidiosis caused by E. alabamensis in first-year grazing calves.