Effect of halofuginone lactate on treatment and prevention of lamb cryptosporidiosis: an extensive field trial.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of halofuginone lactate (100 mug/kg BW) on treatment and prevention of cryptosporidiosis in lambs. It consisted of three field trials. The first trial was designed to assess the efficacy of halofuginone in treating lamb diarrhoea caused by cryptosporidiosis, and in preventing the disease, using two schemes; halofuginone given for seven and for three consecutive days respectively. Halofuginone was effective in the treatment of diarrhoea caused by cryptosporidiosis (P < 0.01). In addition, halofuginone administered as a 7-day treatment was significantly (P < 0.05) more effective than a 3-day treatment in preventing diarrhoea in the infected flocks. The second trial was designed to evaluate the preventive effect of halofuginone, which was administered for 7 days in lambs infected with cryptosporidiosis, on diarrhoea incidence, oocyst shedding and body weight gain. Halofuginone significantly (P < 0.01) reduced the diarrhoea incidence, the time of oocyst shedding and the mean intensity of shedding, but did not affect body weight gain. The third trial was designed to examine the ability of halofuginone to reduce the death rate in flocks with cryptosporidiosis. Halofuginone treatment was effective in preventing and in reducing the death rate of cryptosporidiosis in these flocks.