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Efficiency of 5% toltrazuril in the metaphylactic treatment of coccidiosis in naturally infected and extensively reared beef calves

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Abstract

Eimeria spp. infection is one of the main diseases that affect young cattle in beef and dairy herds, leading to economic losses and compromising the performance and growth of animals. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of different protocols of metaphylactic treatment with 5% toltrazuril (15 mg/kg) in naturally infected, extensively reared beef calves from birth to 1 year of age. We used 92 calves aged up to 2 weeks of life, initially divided into two experimental groups: treated and control. The animals were evaluated fortnightly with individual count of oocysts per gram of feces (OPG) tests until weaning; thereafter, they were again divided into four subgroups: I—treated at both birth and weaning; II—treated at birth but not treated at weaning; III—not treated at birth but treated at weaning; and IV—neither treated at birth nor at weaning (control). During the experimental period, the animals were evaluated for weight gain, excretion of oocysts, and presence of pathogenic species of Eimeria spp. In the first stage of the study, less oocysts were excreted in the treated group for up to 75 days and at 150 days of age (p < 0.05). In the final stage of the study, significant differences occur between groups I and II, I and IV, II and III, and III and IV (p = 0.3512), in the collection 20 days after treatment. Eimeria bovis was the most frequently identified species during the experimental period. Moreover, there was a positive correlation between the presence of diarrhea in the calves and the number of oocysts excreted, treated group (p = 0.0092) and untreated group (p = 0.2). There was no significant difference in weight gain of animals in any of the study periods (p > 0.05).

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES), Brazil, for their financial support.

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Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES), Brazil.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Parasitic Disease Laboratory (LADOPAR), Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), Av. Roraima, 1000, Prédio 63C, 97015-000, Camobi, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil

    Caroline Zamperete Reginato, Fagner D’ambroso Fernandes, Luís Antônio Sangioni & Fernanda Silveira Flores Vogel

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  1. Caroline Zamperete Reginato
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  2. Fagner D’ambroso Fernandes
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  3. Luís Antônio Sangioni
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  4. Fernanda Silveira Flores Vogel
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Contributions

CZR: original draft preparation, methodology, investigation and writing-reviewing and editing; FDF: original draft preparation, methodology, investigation and writing-reviewing and editing; LAS: methodology, writing-reviewing and editing; FSFV: original draft preparation, methodology, investigation and writing-reviewing and editing. All authors read and approved the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Fagner D’ambroso Fernandes.

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Approval was obtained from the Ethics Committee of the Use of Animals at the Federal University of Santa Maria, CEUA No 7304121218.

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Reginato, C.Z., D’ambroso Fernandes, F., Sangioni, L.A. et al. Efficiency of 5% toltrazuril in the metaphylactic treatment of coccidiosis in naturally infected and extensively reared beef calves. Trop Anim Health Prod 53, 329 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-021-02770-8

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