M. Larsen et al., THE POTENTIAL OF NEMATOPHAGOUS FUNGI TO CONTROL THE FREE-LIVING STAGES OF NEMATODE PARASITES OF SHEEP - STUDIES WITH DUDDINGTONIA FLAGRANS, Veterinary parasitology, 76(1-2), 1998, pp. 121-128
The nematophagous fungus, Duddingtonia flagrans, isolated from a fresh
sheep faecal sample obtained from a farm in northern New South Wales,
Australia, was subjected to a number of in vivo investigations in bot
h surgically modified and normal sheep to determine its capacity to su
rvive passage through the gastrointestinal tract. Single and sustained
dosing experiments established that between 5 x 10(5) and 10(6) chlam
ydospores/day resulted in a substantial(> 80%) reduction in the number
of infective larvae derived from nematode eggs in faeces. This effect
can be maintained if dosing continues. These results demonstrate for
the first time the potential of nematophagous fungi to be deployed by
means of sustained release technology in the biological control of nem
atode parasites of livestock. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.