No Benefit to Removing Tapeworms
In 2012 and 2013, experiments were conducted on a commercial sheep farm in the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia, to test the hypothesis that growth rates of lambs would not be affected by infection with tapeworms (Moniezia spp.)
One hundred and seventy-eight meat-breed lambs, 4-6 months of age, were allocated to two treatment groups. One group (Prazi) was treated with praziquantel, levamisole, and abemectin to remove tapeworm and gastrointestinal nematode infection (GIN). The other group was treated only with levamisole and abemectin to remove GIN (Control).
No significant difference in growth rates was observed between treatment groups in either year.
Conclusion: This experiment confirmed that removal of tapeworm burdens did not increase growth rates in meat-breed lambs on a commercial sheep farm in the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia.
Source: Veterinary Parasitology (2015). Read abstract