IN VITRO LARVICIDAL EFFICACY OF SOME DISINFECTANTS AGAINST AELUROSTRONGYLUS ABSTRUSUS LARVAE

Abstract

The current study was performed to assess the efficiency of some commonly used disinfectants against first stage (L1) Aelurostrongylus abstrusus larvae. A naturally infected cat was used as a donor of L1. The larvae were collected from the cat faeces by the simplified Baermann’s technique. A total of 12 disinfectants were tested, including acids, alkalis, aldehydes, quaternary ammonium compounds (QAC), phenols, chlorhexidine, chlorine-, iodine- and oxygen-releasing disinfectants. The activity of each disinfectant on L1 was tested by the suspension method after 30 and 60 min exposure time. Key criteria in assessing the harmful effects of disinfectants on the larvae were changes in motility and the larval morphology such as vesicular inclusions, fading and/or destruction of intestinal cells, wrinkling or folding. The results revealed that sodium hydroxide, iodine- and oxygen-releasing disinfectants had the best efficacy and caused rapid 100% inactivation of L1 after exposure of only 30 min. High efficiency after 30-min exposure was also observed for phenols (97.89%), aldehydes (96.84%) and the combination of QAC and chlorhexidine (96.84%). The efficacy of the other substances was between 39 and 90.53%. The results obtained allowed selecting the appropriate chemical agent for disinfection of premises and disposal of faeces from animals infected with A. abstrusus or those at high risk – in shelters, foster homes, veterinary clinics and castration centres, in order to eliminate the risk of spreading the parasites.