Experiences with a combined chemoprophylaxis- and disinfection programme against Ascaris suum in a newly built sow breeding unit

A newly built stable in a closed pig breeding facility with a known low-lev el prevalence of Ascaris suum was used to evaluate the efficacy of the prev ention of parasite contamination of one possible hygienic schedule. For thi s purpose, the animals were treated with a macrocyclic lacton (i.e. Ivermec tin 0.3 mg/kg BW) twice, 10-14 days prior and on day of transportation into the new facility. For the disinfection programme the animals were transpor ted in a cleaned trailer to a disinfection platform. A 10 minute prewashing step with tap water was followed by approx. 10 minutes per animal incubati on of a 2 per cent Venno-Oxygen solution applied with a high-pressure clean er. The cleaned animals were transported in a feshly cleaned trailer to the new stable. Immediately before they entered the new stable the animals wer e lead through a 2 percent Neopredisan solution without standing time. Indi vidual faecal samples of each animal in a total of 1.203 samples were exami ned approximately 4, 6 and 10 weeks after transfer and a total of 13 piglet s were necropsied for Ascaris' stages detection at an earliest age of 8 wee ks at the sampling dates. No parasite stages could be detected in any of th e samples. Methods and justifiability of the expenditure are discussed. The study as a combination of chemoprophylaxis and disinfection shows that a p revention of an introduction of parasite stages into a new build stable can be successfull and, additionally, the study can help in estimating the exp enses of a future eradication programme or a rehabilitation of animal produ ction facilities.