Control of sheep gastrointestinal nematodes on pasture in the tropical semiarid region of Brazil, using Bioverm® (Duddingtonia flagrans)

We aimed to evaluate a Brazilian commercial formulation of the fungus Duddingtonia flagrans (Bioverm (R)) for controlling gastrointestinal nematodes in sheep kept on native pasture in the Caatinga biome, in the semiarid region of Brazil. Twenty ewes, aged between 12 and 18 months, were divided into two groups. In the treated group, each animal received 1 g of the Bioverm (R) product for each 10 kg of live weight, daily, together with commercial feed, for 6 months. In the control group, the animals received feed without Bioverm (R). Each group remained throughout the experiment in a 1.2-ha paddock. Monthly counts of eggs per gram (EPG) of feces, fecal cultures, packed cell volume (PCV), weight measurements, and collection of leaf mass from the pasture were performed. There was greater reduction in EPG, greater weight gain, and less infestation by infective larvae in the paddock of the Bioverm (R) group, compared with the control group (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference (p >= 0.05) in the mean PCV percentage between the Bioverm (R) and control groups. In coprocultures, Haemonchus sp. was the most prevalent helminth. Bioverm (R) (D. flagrans) was efficient for biological control of sheep gastrointestinal nematodes in the semiarid region of Brazil.