THERAPEUTIC TRIAL OF IVERMECTIN AGAINST NOTOEDRES CATI VAR CUNICULI INFECTION IN RABBITS

Effect of 400 mu g/kg of ivermectin against natural infection of Notoe dres cali var. cuniculi mange in rabbits was evaluated in twenty rabbi ts which showed typical symptoms of notoedric mange and were randomly divided into two groups. Group I consisted of 15 rabbits treated with single s/c injection of ivermectin (lvomec(R), Dynamic Pharmacals, Bom bay). in group II, five infected untreated rabbits were kept as contro l. Daily observations of clinical improvement and on the basis of exam ination of skin scrapings on days 0, 3, 6, 9, 16, 23 and 30 post treat ment were done. Complete visual shedding of lesions was seen on day 6 after treatment and skin scrapping were found negative for miles after 7th day of treatment till the end of experiment. Histopathologically mites were present in stratum corneum and many were noticed in the bur rows in epidermis. Marked hyperkeratosis, hyperplasia and acantholysis along with ballooning degeneration of epithelial cells of epidermis w ere seen.