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Ivermectin treatment of free-ranging endangered Australian sea lion (Neophoca cinerea) pups: effect on hookworm and lice infection status, haematological parameters, growth, and survival

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Abstract

A placebo-controlled study was used to investigate the effectiveness of ivermectin to treat hookworm (Uncinaria sanguinis) and lice (Antarctophthirus microchir) infections in free-ranging Australian sea lion (Neophoca cinerea) pups and to test the hypotheses that these parasitic infections cause anaemia, systemic inflammatory responses, and reduced growth, and contribute towards decreased pup survival. Ivermectin was identified as an effective and safe anthelmintic in this species. Pups administered ivermectin had significantly higher erythrocyte counts and significantly lower eosinophil counts compared to controls at 1–2 months post-treatment, confirming that U. sanguinis and/or A. microchir are causatively associated with disease and demonstrating the positive effect of ivermectin treatment on clinical health parameters. Higher growth rates were not seen in ivermectin-treated pups and, unexpectedly, relatively older pups treated with ivermectin demonstrated significantly reduced growth rates when compared to matched saline-control pups. Differences in survival were not identified between treatment groups; however, this was attributed to the unexpectedly low mortality rate of recruited pups, likely due to the unintended recruitment bias towards pups >1–2 months of age for which mortality due to hookworm infection is less likely. This finding highlights the logistical and practical challenges associated with treating pups of this species shortly after birth at a remote colony. This study informs the assessment of the use of anthelmintics as a tool for the conservation management of free-ranging wildlife and outlines essential steps to further the development of strategies to ensure the effective conservation of the Australian sea lion and its parasitic fauna.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Tony Jones and Adam Kemp of Protec Marine, Port Lincoln, South Australia for providing transport and logistical support for field work at Dangerous Reef. We also thank Navneet Dhand of The University of Sydney for statistical advice regarding study design; Christine Gotsis and George Tsoukalas of the Veterinary Pathology Diagnostic Service, Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney for laboratory assistance; and volunteers and colleagues for field assistance: Simon Goldsworthy, Andrew Lowther, Paul Rogers, Laura Schmertmann, Adrian Simon, Michael Terkildsen, Mark Whelan, and Peter White. This work was supported by the Australian Marine Mammal Centre, Department of the Environment, Australian Government (grant number 09/17). All samples were collected under Government of South Australia Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources Wildlife Ethics Committee approvals (3–2008 and 3–2011) and Scientific Research Permits (A25088/4–8).

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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  1. Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, McMaster Bldg B14, Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia

    Alan D. Marcus, Damien P. Higgins & Rachael Gray

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  1. Alan D. Marcus
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  2. Damien P. Higgins
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Correspondence to Rachael Gray.

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Marcus, A.D., Higgins, D.P. & Gray, R. Ivermectin treatment of free-ranging endangered Australian sea lion (Neophoca cinerea) pups: effect on hookworm and lice infection status, haematological parameters, growth, and survival. Parasitol Res 114, 2743–2755 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-015-4481-4

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