Dirofilariasis is a disease of clinical importance in dogs. It is to this end that a case of a seven-year-old mongrel with dirofilariasis was presented to examine the unique features and presentation in the canine patient in question. The dog had clinical signs consistent with the disease. Further diagnostic tests were performed to establish the presence and severity of the disease and make an appropriate treatment plan. The Knott’s test revealed Dirofilaria species in the circulating blood and radiography showed right ventricular hypertrophy with pulmonary arterial enlargement and increased bronchial opacification. The treatment instituted was ivermectin therapy by subcutaneous injection every two weeks for six months, cardiac glycoside and antibiotics for 14 days. The clinical signs resolved after completion of the treatment. A general overview of heartworm infection in dogs was also done to update current knowledge of the disease. Though the risk of significant propagation of Dirofilaria immitis is considered low, with the climate change and international pet travel regulations, this emerging zoonosis remains a threat.

Hot water and hydroethanolic (70:30) extracts were prepared from 15 plant species, which were investigated to discover eco-friendly and less expensive tick control methods as an alternative to synthetic acaricides. A contact bioassay was used to determine the acaricidal activity of these extracts against the cattle tick, Rhipicephalus turanicus (Acari: Ixodidae) at a concentration of 20% (200 mg/mL). The hydroethanolic extracts had better activity than the hot water extracts against R. turanicus. The hydroethanolic extract from Tabernaemontana elegans (leaves) had the best mortality (87.0%). This was followed by Calpurnia aurea (stems) with a mortality of 75.0%, Schkuhria pinnata (whole plant) with a mortality of 67.0% and Aloe rupestris (leaves) with a mortality of 66.6%. The toxicity of the plant extracts was also investigated and it was found that most of the hydroethanolic and hot water extracts were either safe or very safe on human Vero kidney and liver HepG2 cells. From this study, it was evident that botanicals have the potential to be developed as environmentally benign natural acaricides against R. turanicus.

Ticks are important to the Nigerian livestock industry because of their ability to cause huge economic loss directly or indirectly. Chemical acaricides have played important roles in control of tick infestation for many years but development of acaricide resistance as being reported worldwide is a huge problem facing the livestock industry and the veterinarians. Thus, this study evaluated the efficacy of available commercial acaricides on Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus. Using Adult Immersion Test (AIT): the LC50, inhibition of oviposition, control and resistance rates, gradation of tarsal reflexes were determined for ticks treated with different acaricides at five different concentrations the discriminating dose (DD) (the manufacturer’s recommended dose) and four other different concentrations of two below and two above the DD with the aid of prohibit regression. The association between weight and number of eggs laid was analyzed by linear correlation. Macrocyclic lactone(66.7%), Phenylpyrazole (62.5%), Cypermethrin (62.5%), Formamidine(33.3%) and Phenylpyrazole(13% egg production), Macrocyclic lactone (18% egg production), Cypermethrin(20% egg production), Formamidine(49% egg production) have the highest to lowest percentage control and oviposition inhibition values respectively. The LC50 of (Formamidine), (Phenylpyrazole), (Synthetic pyrethroids), (Macrocyclic lactone) against adult R. (B.) annulatus were 100, 8000, 2300 and 6000ppm respectively.The demonstration of acaricide resistancedevelopmentas demonstrated by the ticks in laying of eggs after dipping in acaricideis a call to the need for discovery and use of alternative tick control methods with good therapeutic dose and the need for continuous evaluation of available acaricide.

The Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research (OJVR), is the official publication of the Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute. It publishes scientific papers reporting original research on diseases and disease vectors of livestock and wildlife with a focus on Africa, but with results of more than local interest.