The effectiveness of a pyriprole (125 mg/ml) and a metaflumizone (150 mg/ml) combined with amitraz (150 mg/ml) spot-on treatment in preventing Phlebotomus perniciosus from feeding on dogs

A controlled clinical trial was performed to assess the effectiveness of a pyriprole (125 mg/ml) and a metaflumizone (150 mg/ml) combined with amitraz (150 mg/ml) spot-on treatment (recommended dosage) in preventing adult female sandflies (Phlebotomus perniciosus) from feeding on dogs. Sandfly mortality was also assessed. Twelve beagle dogs were used in the study. Prior to treatment they were checked for their attractiveness to sandflies, ranked accordingly to generate partner triplets of equivalent sensitivity to sandflies: four control dogs, four treated with the pyriprole and four with the metaflumizone spot-on. The dogs were challenged with 50 unfed adult female sandflies (8-10 days old), in cages for one hour on Day 1 and Day 7. The sandflies were checked for blood feeding and mortality at one hour, 24 hours and 48 hours after exposure to the dogs. A very poor anti-feeding effect (near 7%) was seen on sandflies with the metaflumizone combined with amitraz and no antifeeding effect was seen with pyriprole. The sandfly mortality effect as a result of exposure to treated dogs was under 20% for the two spot-on. The two formulations could not be proposed in a leishmaniosis prevention program.