Evaluation of the therapeutic and protective effects of ivermectin and permethrin in controlling of wound myiasis infestation in sheep.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic and protective efficacy of ivermectin and permethrin against wound myiasis induced by fleshflies in Riyadh region in sheep. Three different protocols were planned to evaluate efficacy of the selected drugs in addition to recording the myiasis incidence and prevalence among infested farms. The obtained results revealed that genital organs were the most common sites of infestation with myiasis in male and females, with high prevalence in spring and autumn seasons and complete disappearance in summer and winter seasons. Application of permethrin and ivermectin resulted in significant reduction in the number of live larvae in comparison with control, untreated group. Both drugs significantly protected sheep against re-infestation, with full protection recorded for 22 days in ivermectin-treated group, whereas permethrin only produced partial protection for 13 days. Ivermectin appeared more effective than permethrin in eradication of larvae from infested wounds. In addition, ivermectin significantly protected sheep from fatal outcomes of the infestation, and the emergence rate of pupa to adult was significantly reduced in ivermectin-treated animals.