Abamectin is a broad-spectrum antiparasitic active ingredient used in veterinary medicine in pets and livestock against external parasites (lice, mites, etc.) as well as against internal parasites (e.g. roundworms). It is also used against agricultural and household pests. It belongs to the chemical class of the
Abamectin is abundantly used in livestock in some regions (e.g. latin America, Australia), but rather scarcely in other regions (e.g. USA, EU). It is used mainly in pour-ons, drenches and injectables. It is both used alone or in combination with many other active ingredients. Use in pets is so far irrrelevant.
Abamectin is effective against roundworms (gastrointestinal, respiratory, renal, in the skin, etc.) and depending on the delivery form and the dosage also against a number of external parasites such as lice, mites and various myiasis. However, it is ineffective against tapeworms and flukes, and at the usual use recommendations it doesn't control e.g. fleas, stable flies, mosquitoes, horse flies, multi-host ticks (e.g. Amblyomma spp, Dermacentor spp, Haemaphysalis spp, Ixodes spp, Rhipicephalus spp, etc.) and several other external parasites.
In the last years it has been increasingly used in some countries against cattle ticks (Boophilus = Rhipicephalus microplus) and horn flies (Haematobia irritans), but efficacy against these parasites is often mediocre and insufficient.
The following table reproduces some usual dosing recommendations for abamectin issued by manufacturers or documented in the scientific literature. They may not be approved in some countries.
| Dosing recommendations for ABAMECTIN | ||
| CATTLE | ||
| Delivery | Parasites | Dose (against abamectin-susceptible parasites) |
| Subcutaneous | Roundworms | 0.2 mg/kg. Covers most important cattle roundworms |
| Subcutaneous | Screwworms | 0.2 mg/kg. Mainly preventative use. |
| Subcutaneous | Dermatobia hominis | 0.2 mg/kg. About 4-6 weeks protection. |
| Subcutaneous | Sarcoptes bovis | 0,2 mg/kg |
| Subcutaneous | Boophilus microplus | 0.2 mg/kg. No knock-down effect. Control is usually incomplete (<85%). Residual effect <7 days, depending on the formulation. |
| Subcutaneous | Lice (excep. Damalinis bovis) | 0.2 mg/kg |
| Subcutaneous | Hypoderma spp | 0.2 mg/kg |
| Pour-on | Roundworms | 0.5 mg/kg. Covers most important cattle roundworms |
| Pour-on | Mites | 0.5 mg/kg. Needs 3-4 weeks for mites to disappear |
| Pour-on | Boophilus microplus | 0.5 mg/kg. No knock-down effect. Control is usually incomplete (<85%). Residual effect <7 days |
| Pour-on | Haematobia irritans | 0.5 mg/kg. Usually incomplete control (<80%), protection 3-4 weeks |
| Pour-on | Lice | 0.5 mg/kg. Lice-free animals only after about 1 week |
| Pour-on | Dermatobia hominis | 0.5 mg/kg. About 5 weeks protection |
| SHEEP & GOATS |
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| Delivery | Parasites | Dose (against abamectin-susceptible parasites) |
| Drench | Roundworms | 0.2 mg/kg. Covers most important sheep roundworms |
| Subcutaneous | Roundworms | 0.2 mg/kg. Covers most important sheep roundworms |
| Subcutaneous | Oestrus ovis | 0.2 mg/kg |
| Subcutaneous | Psoroptes ovis | 0.2 mg/kg. Rep after 7 days |
| SWINE |
||
| Delivery | Parasites | Dose (against abamectin-susceptible parasites) |
| Subcutaneous | Roundworms | 0.3 mg/kg. Covers most important swine roundworms |
| Subcutaneous | Sarcoptes scabiei | 0.3 mg/kg |
| Subcutaneous | Haematopinus suis | 0.3 mg/kg |
| HORSES | ||
| Delivery | Parasites | Dose (against abamectin-susceptible parasites) |
| Oral (paste, gel) | Roundworms | 0.2 mg/kg. Covers most important horse roundworms |
| SOUTH AMERICAN CAMELIDS | ||
| Delivery | Parasites | Dose (against abamectin-susceptible parasites) |
| Subcutaneous | Roundworms | 0.2 mg/kg. Covers most important roundworms |
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In most finished products, efficacy and safety depend not only on the amount of active ingredient(s) but also on their formulations (i.e. the type and amount of so-called inert ingredients), particularly in injectables and in topical pour-ons. These inert ingredients can significantly affect the pharmacokinetic behavior (e.g. absorption through the skin or from the injection site, distribution within the body, spreading throughout the body surface, etc.). Generic products usually contain the same amount of active ingredient(s) as the original product, but often in quite different formulations. In many cases, the curative (therapeutic) efficacy of the different formulations is quite comparable, but the protective (prophylactic) efficacy that determines the length of protection against re-infestations may be rather different.
Dosing recommendations for antiparasitics depend on national regulations. National regulatory authorities determine whether a product is approved for a given indication, i.e. use on a particular host at a specific dose and against a specific parasite. Check the labels of the products available in your country for specific information on approved indications.
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