Efficacy of Ivermectin (Mk-933) for Treatment and Prevention of Infection of Parelaphostrongylus Tenuis (Metastrongy Loidea) in Cervids

Abstract

This study is concerned with the ability of ivermectin (MK-933) to eliminate patent infections of Parelaphostrongylus tenuis in whitetailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and to prevent development of infection by P. tenuis in white-tailed deer and in fallow deer (Dama dama). Fallow deer were chosen in this study to represent neurologically susceptible cervids. A few limitations were encountered in designing this study. The number of animals were limited to a portion of the annual supply of white-tailed deer fawns born in the Deer Disease Research facility or brought to it by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. Fallow deer were chosen for their ease of availability, smaller size, relative ease of handling, and cost compared to elk or other large cervids that are known to be neurologically susceptible to the parasite. All animals were given a reasonable amount of space, food, water and veterinary medical care; even so, there were unexplained deaths, a common occurren,ce among captive wild animals used for research purposes.