Immunity to parasitic bronchitis of yearling cattle treated with ivermectin during their first grazing season

Veterinary Research Laboratory, Stormont, Belfast.

A group of 12 winter-born calves was divided into two groups of six. During the following summer one group grazed on pasture infected with Dictyocaulus viviparus, and was treated with ivermectin injections at three, eight and 13 weeks after turn out. The other group remained housed. Both groups were housed during the winter and then together with a group of younger calves were challenged with a trickle infection of D viviparus larvae at the rate of 25 third stage larvae/kg bodyweight for one month and then slaughtered. The group which had been exposed to previous infection was least affected by parasitic bronchitis and on the basis of serological titres and worm burdens had developed resistance to the challenge infection. The other older group was also more resistant than the younger calves.