Brand: LEVAMISOLE CONCENTRATE
Company: ALL FARM
DELIVERY FORM: «additives and medicated feeds» for oral administration.
ACTIVE INGREDIENT(S): levamisole (hydrochloride): 850 g/kg (equivalent to 995 g/kg levamisole hydrochloride)
CHEMICAL CLASS of the active ingredient(s): imidazothiazole
INDICATIONS: POULTRY
PARASITES CONTROLLED* (spectrum of activity)
- At low doses: effective against Ascaridia galli
- At high doses: effective against immature and adult stages of Ascaridia galli, Heterakis gallinarum and Capillaria obsignata.
* Country-specific differences may apply: read the product label.
RECOMMENDED DOSE
- For activity against Ascaridia galli only: use 20 mg/kg bodyweight. Equivalent to 40 g product per 1000 birds (assuming 2 kg/bird). When treating a worm infestation repeat between 7 and 21 days later.
- For broader spectrum against Ascaridia galli, Heterakis gallinarum and Capillaria obsignata. Use 36 mg/kg bodyweight. Equivalent to 72 g/1000 birds (assuming 2 kg/bird).
- Shoud be administered through the drinking water.
- Read the product label for further details on dosing.
SAFETY
- LD50 (acute oral) in rats: 180 mg/kg (for the a.i.)
- LD50 (acute dermal) in rats: n.a.
Suspected poisoning? Read the article on levamisole safety in this site.
Withholding periods (=withdrawal times)
- Meat: AUS: 7 days
- Eggs: AUS: NIL
WARNING !!!: Never use on humans, dogs or cats
You may be interested in the following articles in this site dealing with the general safety of veterinary products:
- Safety for humans
- Safety for domestic animals
- Safety for the environment
- Hazard classifications of pesticides
RESISTANCE PREVENTION
Risk of resistance? LOW
There are a few reports on resistance of Oesophagostomum worms to benzimidazoles, levamisole and pyrantel (mainly in Europe) but so far the problem is much less frequent and severe than in sheep or cattle.
This means that if this product does not achieve the expected efficacy against the mentioned parasites, there is a certain risk that it is due to resistance and not to incorrect use, which is usually the most frequent cause of product failure.
Alternative chemical classes/active ingredients to prevent resistance of gastrointestinal roundworms through product rotation in swine:
- Benzimidazoles, e.g. albendazole, febantel, fenbendazole, oxfendazole, etc.
- Macrocyclic lactones (e.g. abamectin, doramectin, eprinomectin, ivermectin, moxidectin, etc.).
- Tetrahydropyrimidines (e.g. morantel, pyrantel): effective only against certain gastrointestinal roundworms. Not available in some countries. Resistance to morantel has been reported in some countries.
- Piperazine. Effective only against certain gastrointestinal roundworms (mainly ascarids).
These alternative products may not be available in all countries or may not be effective against all the concerned parasites.
It is highly recommended to periodically check the resistance status of each property performing appropriate tests (e.g. fecal egg counts) under supervision of a veterinary doctor. Such tests are now routinely available for most producers in developed countries.
Learn more about resistance and how it develops.
MARKETING
Are the active ingredients of this product ORIGINAL* or GENERICS**?
- GENERICS
*Meaning that they are still patent protected and generics are not yet available
**Meaning that they have lost patent protection and may be acquired from manufacturers of generic active ingredients other than the holder of the original patent.
COUNTRIES where this brand/product is marketed: Australia
GENERIC BRANDS available? Yes, in most countries.
Click here to learn more about GENERIC vs. ORIGINAL drugs.
Click here for an overview on the most used antiparasitic feed additives and medicated feeds for livestock and horses.
COMMENTS
This product is a classic anthelmintic for pig & poultry from ALL FARM ANIMAL HEALTH containing generic levamisole.
Levamisole is a veteran anthelmintic. It was introduced by JANSSEN already in the 1960s (NILVERM, RIPERCOL). It has a broad-spectrum of activity against roundworms (gastrointestinal and pulmonary) but no efficacy whatsoever against tapeworms and flukes. It is also completely ineffective against external parasites of livestock (ticks, flies, lice, mites, etc). Levamisole has been used massively worldwide in countless generic formulations for livestock. It still remains one of the most preferred low-cost anthelmintics for livestock worldwide. Usage in pets or horses is rather scarce. It is not used in agriculture.
As many other anthelmintics (e.g. benzimidazoles, tetrahydropyrimidines) levamisole administered orally has no residual effect, i.e. it kills the parasites shortly after administration, but does not significantly protect the animals against re-infestation by infective stages in their environment.
Thanks to its higher solubility in water levamisole is also available as a pour-on and as an injectable for livestock, but only in some countries.
DISCLAIMER
This article IS NOT A PRODUCT LABEL. It offers complementary information that may be useful to veterinary professionals and users that are not familiar with veterinary antiparasitics.
Information offered in this article has been extracted from publications issued by manufacturers, government agencies (e.g. EMEA, FDA, USDA, etc.) or in the scientific literature. No guarantee is given on its accuracy, integrity, sufficiency, actuality and opportunity, and any liability is denied. Read the site's DISCLAIMER.
In case of doubt contact the manufacturer or a veterinary professional.