Examination of commercially available copper oxide wire particles in combination with albendazole for control of gastrointestinal nematodes in lambs

• We examined three commercial sources of copper oxide wire particles for the control of Haemonchus contortus in lambs.
• Copasure, ultracruz, and copper oxide-wire form had similar efficacy against H. contortus, and all products reduced fecal egg counts compared with a control group.
• A combination of albendazole and copper oxide wire particles was more effective than copper oxide wire particles by itself.

Control of gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) remains a critical issue due to the prevalence of anthelmintic resistance. The objective of the experiment was to determine the efficacy of copper oxide wire particles (COWP) from three commercial sources and a combination of COWP and albendazole to control GIN and/or Haemonchus contortus in lambs. Naturally infected Katahdin lambs in early June 2014 and 2015 were randomly assigned to receive no COWP (CON; n = 9 and 12) or 2 g COWP in a gel capsule as Copasure® (COP; n = 4 and 17; Animax Ltd.), copper oxide—wire form (AUS; n = 7 in 2014 only; Pharmplex), Ultracruz™ (ULT; n = 8 and 15; Santa Cruz Animal Health™), no COWP and albendazole (CON + alb; n = 10 in 2015 only; 15 mg/kg BW; Valbazen®; Zoetis Animal Health), or COWP + alb (n = 7 and 11; in 2014, lambs were administered alb on day 3). Lambs grazed grass pastures as a group and were supplemented with 227 g/lamb daily of a commercial grain mix (15% crude protein) and the same amount of alfalfa pellets. Feces were collected on days 0 (day of COWP treatment), 7, and 14 for determination of fecal egg counts (FEC). Pooled (2014) or pooled treatment group feces were cultured on days 0, 7, and 14 (2015 only) to determine GIN genera. Data were analyzed using repeated measures in a mixed model, and FEC were log transformed. The predominant GIN on day 0 was H. contortus (87%) in 2014, and there was a mixed population in 2015. The mean FEC was reduced by day 7 in AUS and ULT lambs (treatment × day, P = 0.001), and all of the COWP products were similar. By day 14, the AUS FEC were lower than the CON and COP groups. When examining the combination of COWP and synthetic anthelmintic, the FEC of COWP + alb were reduced to nearly 0 eggs/g (back-transformed) and lower than the other groups (treatment × day, P = 0.001). The percentage of H. contortus in cultured feces was reduced to a greater extent in the COWP than CON or CON+alb groups of lambs. In a mixed GIN population, the COWP products appeared to be similar in efficacy and using a combination of COWP + alb increased the efficacy not only against H. contortus, but all GIN genera present, offering options in the face of resistance to benzimidazoles.