Oral administration of mebendazole failed to reduce nematode egg shedding in captive African gazelles

Idiosyncracies are observed in captive wild animals as regards the pharmaco kinetics and efficacy of anthelmintics. This could be attributed to such fa ctors as differences in host's metabolism, irregular distribution of anthel mintics due to the way they are administered and worm resistance to anthelm intics. Previously mebendazole was found to be poorly effective when admini stered in feed. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of meb endazole when administered at the dosage rate of 15-20 mg/kg body weight to gastrointestinal nematodes in captive gazelles. Fifty-eight adult gazelles (Gazella cuvier,) were divided into four groups: T1 (animals dosed orally, directly into the mouth), T2 (treated orally, mixed in the water of a herd ), T3 (treated orally, mixed in the water of one animal), and T4 (not treat ed). Individual faecal samples were taken before treatment, and 15 days the reafter. Mean percentages of reduction of egg shedding were calculated for Nematodirus spp., other trichostrongyles, total trichostrongylids, Trichuri s spp. and total nematodes. No statistically significant differences were d etected between the treatment groups and the control group or among the ani mals in the three treatment groups.