Australia has declared a new war on worms – and this time it’s biological.
You may already have read about this wonder from Down Under, the “world’s first biological control for grazing animals”, on the equine news sites.
Instead of dosing our horses continually with chemical wormers, we now have the option of fighting parasites by feeding our horses an innovative new product: a supplement containing a fungus that passes through the horse to kill the larvae in manure.
Called BioWorma®, this new supplement can, through continued use as part of a worming strategy, dramatically reduce roundworm larvae in pasture by an average of 84% (across livestock species – the lowest effect recorded has been 50%, the highest over 90%).
Perhaps, like me, you have quite a few questions about exactly what this means for horse health.
Recently, I caught up with Chris Lawlor, CEO of International Animal Health Products, the commercial producer of BioWorma®, at the Australasian Equine Science Symposium 2018. (The other partners included scientists at CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency.)
Between his presentation, our conversation and other reading, I’ve taken the opportunity to get my head around this remarkable new product.
© All text copyright of the author, Jane Clothier, https://thehorsesback.com.
What is this biological wormer and how does it work?
Duddingtonia flagrans is a nematophagous fungus that is found in pasture and manure around the world. The term nematophagous is Greek and means ‘worm-eating’.
Good news for horse owners is that once the fungus is resident in a manure pile, it creates a microscopic net that traps, paralyses and consumes the larvae of parasitic worms – and in particular, nematodes.
This means it basically consumes the larvae of large and small roundworms, the gastrointestinal parasites that are amongst the dangerous for our horses.
How do we use this biological wormer?
Duddingtonia flagrans has been added to a protein meal that we can feed as a supplement to horses (vets can obtain it ‘neat’).
It is best used strategically within a rotational paddock system. In practice, this means that you take the following recommended steps:
- Deworm your horse or herd with conventional chemical wormers. All horses in the same paddock must be treated, or this process becomes pointless.
- Conduct a fecal egg count to see how much your horse is shedding.
- Once the egg count is low, move your horse into a fresh paddock just after deworming (yes, I know this isn’t always possible, but please read on – there’s another option).
- Give Bioworma in the horses’ feed, so that fresh manure in the new paddock is hosting worm-eating Duddingtonia. Repeat once or twice a year, until roundworm egg counts are negligible.
- Continue to use chemical dewormers for tapeworms, bots, neck threadworms, etc.
If you’re not in a position to rotate paddocks but are able to clear manure from your paddocks, then you can:
- Deworm your horse or herd with conventional chemical wormers.
- Conduct a fecal egg count to see how much your horse is shedding.
- Once the egg count is low, give Bioworma in the horses’ feed, just after deworming.
- Continue clearing manure from the paddock.
- Give Bioworma in the horses’ feed, once or twice a year, until roundworm egg counts are negligible.
- Continue to use chemical dewormers for tapeworms, bots, neck threadworms, etc.
Here’s the current research paper that covers the equine trials, in the July 2018 issue of Veterinary Parasitology. It’s Open Access so everyone can read it.
Exactly which parasites are targeted?
Duddingtonia flagrans loves consuming the larvae of the following worms:
- Large strongyles (large red worms), including Strongylus spp., Triodontophorus spp. and Oesophagodontus spp
- Small strongyles (small red worms or cyathostomes), including Cyathostomum spp., Cylicocyclus spp. and Cylicostephanus spp
- Stomach Hair Worm (Trichostrongylus axei)
- Ascarids (Parascaris equorum)
- Threadworms (Strongyloides westeri)
- Pinworms (Oxyuris equi)
It doesn’t have any effect on:
- Tapeworms, which have an intermediate host – the forage mite, which isn’t on the Duddingtonia menu.
- The larvae of the botfly (Gasterophilus), which lays its eggs on the horse’s legs or coat.
- Onchocerca cervicalis (neck threadworms), which are not gastointestinal and are transmited by culicoides flies.
So, you’ll still need to deworm for tapeworms with a praziquantel or pyrantel product, and for bot larvae and neck threadworms with an ivermectin or moxidectin product.
Even so, that’s a lot of worms taken care of with this product, including the most dangerous of the lot.
And what’s the dosage?
As mentioned earlier, vets can buy straight Bioworma®, while horse owners can buy Livamol® with Bioworma®.
I have to be honest and say that I’m a bit puzzled by this – Livamol® is an existing nutritional supplement from International Animal Health Products, which is marketed as a coat conditioner.
This means you’re actually going to be paying for two products, one of which you may not really want or need. It doesn’t appear to be necessary to the effectiveness of Bioworma®, so this appears to be a purely commercial decision. I understand that a carrier is needed for this to be administered in feeds – but why not simply a protein meal, which would presumably be cheaper?
That said, the 20 years’ development period is a long time for a company to hang in there, and return on investment has been a very long time coming.
Moving on… Dosage per 100kg bodyweight is 100g per horse per day. This doesn’t sound much if you only have one horse. If you have more, it does add up.
It needs to be fed during seasons when larvae are thriving, so definitely the warmer months of the year.
Another point to bear in mind is this. If you live in a warmer, more humid zone where parasites thrive (eg, north and north eastern coastal areas of Australia), you’ll need to use it more often.
None of this means it isn’t a great development! Just that there’s more to consider – it’s not simply a case of feed this product and say goodbye to using chemical wormers.
Is it safe – and when can we buy it?
Yes, it’s safe for domestic animals, wildlife and the environment. It’s been tested in 19 trials and three different safety studies for everything from environmental effects to toxicology and residues before being licensed by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) in May 2018. (You can see the APVMA’s licensing sheet here.)
BioWorma® will be available in Australia and New Zealand from July 2018, and in the US soon after. Europe will come on board within the next year or two.
I’ll add price information once this is available.
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I used livamol on my young rescue horse and my young stock horse.it was recommended to me by a young practising equine student from glenormiston victoria.
Thanks for heads up…
That’s good. I’ve nothing against it! I’m more puzzled than anything – as a vitamin/mineral supplement, it makes little sense if it’s only to be fed a couple of times a year in a worming strategy. Hopefully the answer will come.
Thanks Jane, the reason we chose Livamol was because of its excellent palability across all species. Livamol® is the ideal delivery vehicle for BioWorma®, providing a nutritious base of proteins, energy plus added vitamins and minerals which are important for the development and maintenance of immunity of young, growing and grazing animals. Animals receiving adequate feed, maintaining good condition through good nutrition are better able to cope with parasitism and this has a positive impact on their resistance and resilience to worms.
That’s all well & good, but some owners can’t use Livermol due to the effect of it causing “smut” of the coat i.e. Palominos etc.
I’m with Jane, if I want Livermol, I’ll buy it, if I want a wormer fungus, I’d prefer to purchase it in some other type of meal in small quantities so I only purchase once or twice annually, rather than pay a fortune for it having been added to a product I do not use and haven’t done for decades. On that basis, I won’t be buying it.
I gave my rural stockist all the details and they made a decision it was too expensive for most of their customers so they wouldn’t stock it.
I agreed with them. I buy a mineral supplement designed specially for my area and a basic pellet. If its a really dry season I can add copra just for those few months. No reason to spend outrageous amounts on unnecessary extra nutrition. If indeed I was to spend that sort of money, it would be on the actual land to improve the health of the soil, hence the pasture.
To exclude the majority of hobby horse owners in a country with the highest horse ownership per head of population in this manor is a big call and must surely alienate the product for future backyard use.
I found it very refreshing that you are prepared to remark on the not so positive eg. the fact that Bioworma is only available to the public in Livamol but like you realize that the R & D costs are huge. Moving on has any R & D been done on Bioworma as to any effects on Dung Beetles ??
I have larger paddocks here & picking up manure is not feasible so for the last 25 years have been looking after the dung beetles & using products on both horses & cattle that do not adversely affect them. Look forward to hearing from you
I do have the answer to that question somewhere, but will have to dive into a lot of info to find it. I’ll get back to you.
There are no negative effects on non-target soil nematodes, earthworms, microarthropods, soil bacteria and fungi. Beneficial insects feeding or breeding on manure (e.g. dung beetles, fly larvae) are not negatively affected by the presence of Duddingtonia flagrans. Manure decomposition is not altered by the presence of Duddingtonia flagrans.
There have not been any recorded negative impacts on non-target soil nematodes.
Thank you, very useful and exciting information.
Will Biowormer be available on it’s own rather than in livamol in NZ?
My understanding is that it’s going to be the same offering.
There’s nothing wrong with that, it’s just puzzling!
It will be available in both forms: BioWorma (manufacturing product for Vets and Stockfeed manufacturers) and Livamol with BioWorma (for end users) from about the first week of August
By ‘end users’, you mean your customers? 😉
Thanks Jane, our customers. In a legal sense BioWorma is a manufacturing product (for adding to feed by feedmills or under the direction of a veterinarian) while Livamol with BioWorma is for direct addition to feeds by horse owners.
a bacteria, which is a fungus??? that is not correct, in my opinion. Either is a bacteria, or a fungus … one has nothing to do with the other!
Yes, a fungus! I have no idea why I wrote bacteria, but I did. Now corrected.
thumbs up! 🙂
Thanks Noemi, Duddingtonia flagrans is a fungus
What an amazing leap forward in biotechnology.
Over an extended period, we could clean up our paddocks.
Let’s hope the chemical companies don’t use it as a money making venture and hold average horse owners to ransom so they can’t afford it.
This is a product that is so beneficial to horses, it would be a pity if most owners could not afford it.
Many people already shy away from having FECs due to cost and unnecessarily convoluted process.
Thanks Clissa, BioWorma and Livamol with BioWorma should help slow chemical resistance and perhaps extend the life of some chemicals. When used in conjunction with chemicals, this is called Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and can be very useful in some circumstances.
This is fantastic to hear! Bioworma be a very useful tool especially, as part of a strategic worming program.
Could you please provide a little more information on how Bioworma will be effective against Pinworm, as eggs are dropped in the environment, not passed in the manure and do not hatch into larvae until in the mucous membrane of the intestines?
Would also love to hear of any impacts it may have on Dung Beetles.
Good question! And I can’t answer it. The list of parasites is from the website and promotional literature of IAHP, the company producing BioWorma. You may be interested in the current research paper dated 18 July 2018, actually in next week’s issue of Veterinary Parasitology. I believe it’s open access. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304401718302577
No worries, thank you for you reply. Will have a look at the paper now. Thanks Jane!
I’ll ask Chris Lawlor to come over and answer some questions.
Thanks Lacey, indeed a good question, I believe an IPM (Integrated Pest Management) will work
1- Faecal egg count
2- Abamectin OR Oxfendazole/Piperazine OR Mectin/Morantel combination
3- BioWorma or Livamol with BioWorma
4- Monitor progress
Lacey’s question was, “Could you please provide a little more information on how Bioworma will be effective against Pinworm, as eggs are dropped in the environment, not passed in the manure and do not hatch into larvae until in the mucous membrane of the intestines?”
From my reading & understanding of your reply thereto, I am left to assume that BioWorma cannot & will not be effective against Pinworms eggs dropped in the environment. On that basis, HOW can BioWorma claim to eradicate same?
Yes Dee, my thoughts exactly to the response to my initial question. HOW exactly!?
I’ve read and written about this new wormer but I still have several questions.
How does it affect the biodiversity of other fungi in the paddocks if you’re flooding them with Duddingtonia flagrans? Soil microbiology needs other fungi and micro-organisms to improve the structure of the soil to enable the grasses to grow; birds and other animals also feed on the larvae so I’m guessing that it may upset a whole ecology. Australian company Evidence Based Worming (EBW) states that some anthelmintics have an inhibitory effect on D. flagrans and therefore EBW considers it would be inadvisable to administer Bio-Worma simultaneously with a chemical wormer. I also read that the cost for most people would be price prohibitive as it was estimated that it would cost approximately $1,000 annually per horse. If you also have to use chemical wormers for the control of other worms, it will push the costs even higher!
Thanks Les, there are no negative effects on non-target soil nematodes, earthworms, microarthropods, soil bacteria and fungi. Beneficial insects feeding or breeding on manure (e.g. dung beetles, fly larvae) are not negatively affected by the presence of Duddingtonia flagrans. Manure decomposition is not altered by the presence of Duddingtonia flagrans.
There have not been any recorded negative impacts on non-target soil nematodes.
As to your next comment, almost all chemicals have some type of inhibitory effect that is assuming they are are effective against the worms they are meant to treat in the first place.
Some BZ’s can have an inhibitory effect like albendazole and triclabendazole for a few days against Duddingtonia flagrans. I have no idea where how you came up with your cost values. I can tell you that Df will control a lot more larvae in the manure than the numbers of worms within your horse and will slow chemical resistance. It will also be much more effective than your current wormer. It may take a little time to get used to this new concept but it is a game changer
Has EBW provided any information regarding the chemical effect/inhibition on soil microbiology including non-target soil nematodes, earthworms, microarthropods, soil bacteria and fungi?
Here’s the EBW assessment. Chris, it looks like there was a recommendation at some point for daily use of BioWorma – is that still the case? The high costing was based on daily administration.
https://evidencebasedworming.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/BioWorma-Q-and-A-final.pdf
Thank you for your quick response, I read the estimated price per year in an article that based it on the price of Livermol with an estimate on how much it may cost annually! I’d be happy to use the Duddingtonia flagrans fungi providing it’s safe and not too expensive. but I’d prefer not to use it with Livermol as I’m happy with the balance of supplements I’m currently giving to my horses!
I have stuck on this article like mud on a horse rug! I initially felt it was a very good idea.
But now not so much, for the following reasons.
500g Livamol daily!?!?!? OMG! Is that supposed to replace all hand feed and all pasture and all other supplements?
Livamol is counter-indicatve in my particular area due to it not addressing all the nutritional deficiencies in coastal pastures plus the mineral load of my dam water.
I have developed a relatively inexpensive feed recipe consisting of a very small daily feed of pellets and supplements to fit with 24/7 grazing of average coastal/semi dryland pastures by my aged horses.
The addition of any livamol would upset that balance.
I have tried Livamol and my horses rejected more than 2tbsp or approx 50g in a feed.
I would be prepared to try getting them to eat it say 4-6 times per year but it would have to be a very small amount that I could hide in a large activated grain feed for example.
The other comment I want to make is regarding the stated cost of FECs in the PDF. I never heard of an FEC costing only $20! In my experience it is more likely to be $120 + P&P plus vets fees since the only place that does them will only accept from vets.
I have one high shedder & 2 low shedders. They have always lived their whole lives together in the same paddock wherever I lived. Go figure?
Currently i am lucky to own enough land to rotate them through a series of 5ac paddocks. And yes I also wonder about the seemingly crazy idea of moving them to a fresh paddock just to infect it with resistant eggs. But they need fresh grass so as not to overgrazing any one paddock.
This is why I was initially so inspired by this breakthrough in worming.
Let’s get clarity on that daily recommendation – I’ve not read it anywhere else, other than in that EBW PDF. Chris?
Thanks Jane, daily inclusion for weanlings+ (during periods of parasitic activity say over spring). As they mature, say as 2yo’s they should have developed sufficient immunity and the type of wormers used and frequency will reduce.
FEC’s should be used to monitor and if and when to worm.
In a group of 10 weanlings, you might find one or two high shedders (over 500 eggs per gram as an example and the balance at very low levels of say 50 eggs per gram or less ) You would worm the high shedders but NOT the others in the group.
Total cost for this approach is $27.00 plus 2 wormers instead of 10.
For older horses they may only need worming 1-2 twice per year.
It is quite difficult to answer these questions in this type of forum because each person looks at their situation without getting an overall picture of the total concept.
Hope this helps
Goat owners are interested in this product. Will it be available in a supplement specifically for goats or can livamol be fed to goats?
Thanks Monica, Livamol with BioWorma can be fed to grazing animals like goats, sheep, cattle horses including deer, alpacas and zoo animals.
Jane, “Yes, it’s safe for domestic animals, wildlife and the environment. It’s been tested in 19 trials and three different safety studies for everything from environmental effects to toxicology and residues before being licensed by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) in May 2018. (You can see the APVMA’s licensing sheet here.)”
Yowser, BioWorma seems to have undergone an inordinate amount more testing than the Hendra Vaccine was required to PRIOR to licensing, am I right?
Personally, I have little faith in in either body (the developer & the licensing body), but that’s a whole different issue. As far as BioWorma is concerned, Livermol was the duck’s guts when I used it 40 odd years ago, but since the advent of all the specific supplements available these days, I no longer use it. As others have expressed, I would very much like to use BioWorma, but won’t be buying it as long as it’s in Livermol, especially at the outrageously high daily dosage that is required to be fed in the Livermol base.
Most of the trials were conducted in alliance with CSIRO, so I certainly trust the scientific quality of those (disclaimer: I’ve been based there during my studies!). These tests were across different livestock species, which is why the total number appears high.
The developer was required to fund the trials, which was no small commitment for a smaller sized business over a very long period of time, so respect is due there.
The Livermol angle is a commercial decision and is possibly one that works better for farmers than horse owners.
Where can this be bought in NZ? I have had no luck Googling sellers.
many thanks,
Lesley
Lesley don’t hold your breath for this product.
Unless you can get the supplement called Livermol in NZ, there’s only one way you’ll be able to get the wormer.
And that’s if you are a vet and then also only if its already been certified for use in NZ.
After discovering it was only available to domestic users in very expensive Livermol, I went round all the stock feed dealers in my larger area.
None were prepared to get it in unless they got lots of interest from other customers as well.
So far the answer from all other customers is “no its too expensive”.
That’s mainly because no-one in this are needs or wants to feed Livermol to their horses ontop of whatever other more suitable supplement they are also feeding.
Livermol is too rich for older horses (in the right volume for use as a wormer) and not the right supplement for the younger working horses.
I don’t understand the thinking behind putting it in Livermol, other than a commercial one because maybe they have a vested interest in that company.
Because it sure has prevented a lot of people trying it or moving to it.
Thank you for the feedback. I’m sure the guy that developed it won’t be any more impressed than we are, unless he has a vested interest in Livermol, but even so.
Crazy!
Just to mention that Chris Lawlor’s company produces Bioworma and funded the research and development over many years. So the guy and the company are one and the same 🙂
Thanks again for the feedback. it is a shame that Chris’s company does not direct market Bioworma, as it appears from the information I have read that it very safe. This would make it more affordable as vets tend to add quite a steep percentage to the products they sell.
Dear Clissa,
I would like to take this chance to respond to some of your statements that are slightly inaccurate.
1. Livamol is Australasia’s leading coat conditioner while BioWorma and Livamol with BioWorma are totally different products, and in fact the latter 2 products are registered with the APVMA and NZ ACVM as two distinct products.
2. BioWorma is readily available via your veterinarian or when incorporated in stockfeeds while Livamol with BioWorma is available through your feed/produce store.
3. BioWorma and Livamol with BioWorma are natural biological controls that work by consuming parasitic worm larvae in the manure of grazing animals, this includes all horses, cattle, sheep, deer, goats and zoo animals.
4. You should note that BioWorma and Livamol with BioWorma are the first of their kind to be registered anywhere in the world – they were first registered in Australia and New Zealand followed by the USA and registration is pending in Europe.
5. Both products are affordable and cost effective method of managing the worm burdens on the pasture.
6. We are happy to provide you with peer reviewed published papers.
7. Finally, the addition of BioWorma to Livamol enabled us to again deliver the product in a highly palatable and affordable manner, but also deal with horses that were on a lower plane of nutrition. I agree that not all horses need the addition of Livamol but some younger horses or older horses need the extra “pick me up”. I can honestly say that the older horse can definitely benefit from a Livamol enriched ration as it also carries many nutrients vital for the aging horse.
I thought I should draw to your attention the approved comments regarding Livamol as per the Australian and New Zealand registered labels:
Livamol® is the ideal delivery vehicle for BioWorma® providing a nutritious base of proteins, energy plus added vitamins and minerals which are important for the development and maintenance of immunity of young and growing grazing animals. Animals receiving adequate feed, maintaining good condition through good nutrition are better able to cope with parasitism and this has a positive impact on their resistance and resilience to worms.
Anyone skilled in science based animal health would understand the complexity of obtaining such a statement on a Registered product label an achievement, which is why I find some of the negativity in comments made on some forums quite concerning.
Outstanding products like Livamol have stood the test of time having been in the market place for more than 60 years while lesser products come and go. Our sales continue to grow!
I like the idea of the Product, but wonder why the company didn’t release it on their own. A Product used to be on the market was a Product called Wormalas it was based on Malasses sold in block form.a special basket was made to hold the block and the horse could come anytime to lick and worm itself by coming back and having another go. The horse industry needs a product that can be placed in the paddock and let the number of horses worm themselves, rather than have to catch each and worm individually. This would be a great product if made this way,and the cost was reasonable.