Field trials to confirm the efficacy of ivermectin jetting fluid for control of blow fly strike in sheep.

Fifty-two field trials, involving 14,296 sheep, were conducted to confirm the efficacy and safety of ivermectin jetting fluid against blow fly strike in sheep in Australia. A total of 7143 sheep were treated by hand-jetting with a 0.03 mg ml-1 solution of ivermectin, while 7153 sheep were untreated controls. The percent reduction in the cumulative incidence of strikes within the treatment area for ivermectin-treated sheep in comparison with untreated controls, was 96.5%, 95.8% and 93.5% at 10, 12 and 13/14 weeks after treatment, respectively. There were no adverse reactions to treatment.