Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Oral Bravecto effectiveness for treating sand fleas in Brazilian dogs
By Dos Santos, Katharine Costa et al.·Published in PLoS neglected tropical diseases·2022·State University of Santa Cruz, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Efficacy of oral fluralaner (Bravecto) against Tunga penetrans in dogs: A negative control, randomized field study in an endemic community in Brazil.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 62 dogs in Brazil suffering from a skin disease caused by sand fleas (Tunga penetrans) were treated with a chewable tablet called fluralaner (Bravecto) to see if it would help. After just one dose, over 90% of the treated dogs were free of sand fleas within a few weeks, and they showed significant improvement in their skin condition. The treatment not only eliminated the fleas but also provided lasting protection for more than three months. This suggests that fluralaner is an effective option for dogs dealing with this parasitic infection.
People also search for: dog sand flea treatment · Bravecto for sand fleas · dog skin disease from fleas
Abstract
The sand flea Tunga penetrans is one of the zoonotic agents of tungiasis, a parasitic skin disease of humans and animals. The dog is one of its main reservoirs. This negatively controlled, randomized, double-masked clinical trial evaluated the therapeutic and residual efficacy of fluralaner for treatment of dogs naturally infested with T. penetrans. Sixty-two dogs from an endemically affected community in Brazil were randomly assigned to either receive oral fluralaner (Bravecto chewable tablets) at a dose of 25 to 56 mg fluralaner/kg body weight, or no treatment (31 dogs per group). Dogs were clinically examined using a severity score for acute canine tungiasis (SCADT), parasitological examinations as defined by the Fortaleza classification, and pictures of lesions on days 0 (inclusion and treatment), 7 ± 2, 14 ± 2, 21 ± 2, 28 ± 2, 60 ± 7, 90 ± 7, 120 ± 7 and 150 ± 7. The percentage of parasite-free dogs after treatment was >90% between days 14 and 90 post-treatment with 100% efficacy on study days 21, 28 and 60. Sand flea counts on fluralaner treated dogs were significantly lower (p<0.025) than control dogs on all counts from day 7 to 120. The number of live sand fleas on treated dogs was reduced by > 90% on day 7, > 95% on days 14 and 90, and 100% from day 21 to 60, and with a significant difference between groups from day 7 to 120. From day 7 to day 120, mean SCADT scores were significantly reduced in treated dogs with a mean of 0.10 compared to 1.54 on day 120 in untreated dogs. Therefore, a single oral fluralaner administration is effective for treating and achieving long lasting (> 12 weeks) prevention for tungiasis in dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35286319/