Efficacy of Simparica Trio® against induced infections of Ancylostoma braziliense and Ancylostoma ceylanicum in dogs

Background Hookworm infections such as Ancylostoma braziliense and A. ceylanicum pose a significant threat to pets and are implicated in causing zoonotic diseases. Despite the availability of preventatives, compliance can be lacking. Increasing pet owner options and combining endo- and ectoparasite treatments might improve this compliance. In four separate studies, we investigated the efficacy of Simparica Trio® (Zoetis Inc., Parsippany, NJ, USA) containing minimum dosages of 1.2 mg/kg sarolaner, 24 µg/kg moxidectin and 5 mg/kg pyrantel against fourth- and fifth-stage larvae (L4 and L5, respectively) and adults of A. braziliense and adults of A. ceylanicum in dogs. Methods Four negatively controlled, randomised and blinded laboratory studies were conducted against induced infections of A. braziliense and A. ceylanicum, with the interval between infection and treatment selected to evaluate efficacy against each targeted stage. Each treated dog received a single oral dose of Simparica Trio® at the recommended label dose. Necropsy was conducted for worm recovery on day 7 or 8 post-treatment. Results No treatment-related adverse events were recorded in any of the studies. No worms were recovered from any of the Simparica Trio®-treated dogs in all four studies, thus resulting in 100% efficacy (P ≤ 0.0005) of Simparica Trio® against all stages of A. braziliense and the adult stage of A. ceylanicum in dogs. Conclusions Simparica Trio® containing sarolaner, moxidectin and pyrantel was highly effective against induced infections of L4, L5 and adult stages of A. braziliense and the adult stage of A. ceylanicum in dogs.