Evaluation of the efficacy of Simparica Trio® in the prevention of the transmission of Babesia canis by infected Dermacentor reticulatus to dogs

Table 1 Number (and percentage) of dogs positive for Babesia canis on blood smear, PCR and IFA and number (and percentage) of dogs found to be ever positive as well as the percent efficacy of Simparica Trio^® in the prevention of transmission of B. canis

Treatment	Number (percentage) of animals positive for B. canis				Percent efficacy^c
Treatment	Blood smear^a	PCR	IFA	Ever positive^b	Percent efficacy^c
T01 (Placebo)	8 of 8 (100%)	8 of 8 (100%)	8 of 8 (100%)	8 of 8 (100%)	N/A
T02 (Simparica Trio 28 days before infestation)	0 of 1 (0%)	0 of 8 (0%)	0 of 8 (0%)	0 of 8 (0%)*	100%
T03 (Simparica Trio 21 days before infestation)	0 of 1 (0%)	0 of 8 (0%)	0 of 8 (0%)	0 of 8 (0%)*	100%

PCR polymerase chain reaction, IFA indirect immunofluorescence assay
^aBlood smears were collected from dogs with rectal temperature > 39.4 °C or clinical symptoms associated with babesiosis
^bA dog was ever positive for B. canis if it had positive results for both IFA and PCR test
^cPercent efficacy for T0X = 100 × (number infected in T01—number infected in T0X)/number infected in T01, where X = 2, 3
^*Number of ‘ever positive’ dogs significantly lower than in T01 (P < 0.0001)

ISSN: 1756-3305