Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Monthly oral Bravecto treatment kills sand fleas in dogs in Brazil
By Dos Santos, Katharine Costa et al.·Published in Parasites & vectors·2024·Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Efficacy of monthly treatment with oral fluralaner (Bravecto1-Month) against Tunga penetrans in dogs in Brazil: a randomized, double-blind, controlled field study.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs in Brazil suffering from a sand flea infestation (Tunga penetrans) were treated with a single dose of Bravecto (fluralaner) to see if it would eliminate the fleas. The results showed that over 95% of the treated dogs were free of fleas within a week, and by 28 days, 100% were flea-free. The dogs that received the treatment also had fewer and less severe skin lesions compared to those that did not receive any treatment. This suggests that Bravecto is highly effective in treating and preventing sand flea infestations in dogs.
People also search for: dog sand flea treatment · Bravecto for fleas · Tunga penetrans in dogs · dog skin lesions treatment
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Tungiasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by the adult female sand flea (Tunga penetrans). Dogs are considered important reservoirs of T. penetrans in Brazil. The aim of this study was to determine the monthly insecticidal efficacy of a single oral administration of fluralaner at a dose of 10-18 mg/kg (Bravecto1-Month, also registered as Defenzain some countries; MSD Animal Health) in dogs naturally infested with T. penetrans. METHODS: This clinical trial was conducted in a rural community located in Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil. A total of 64 dogs were selected and distributed in a completely randomized design between a treated group (TG) that received one single dose of Bravecto1-Month (Defenza) and a negative control group (CG) that received no treatment. Each group was composed of 32 dogs. The evaluations took place on days 0, 7 ± 2, 14 ± 2, 21 ± 2, 28 ± 2, 35 ± 2, and 42 ± 2 post treatment, in which the dogs were inspected to evaluate the infestation stage and classify lesions associated with tungiasis. The primary efficacy was determined from the percentage of treated dogs free of fleas (stage II and III lesions) after administration of the formulation at each evaluation time. Secondary efficacy was based on the number of active lesions (stages II and III) in each group at each evaluation time. The clinical condition of the animals was defined based on the Severity Score for Acute Dog Tungiasis (SCADT), which is related to the number and severity of lesions. RESULTS: The primary efficacy of the product was greater than 95.0% from days 7 to 21 and reached 100.0% between days 28 and 42, with a significant association between treatment and infestation decline (P < 0.025) between days 7 and 42. Secondary drug efficacy was greater than 99.9% from days 7 to 21, reaching 100.0% between days 28 and 42 (P < 0.05). The treated dogs also scored lower on the SCADT than the control animals did during the entire clinical evaluation period (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: A single administration of Bravecto1-Month (Defenza) was effective in eliminating Tunga penetrans infestations, as well as in preventing parasitism for at least 42 days after treatment.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38685048/