Combined effects of Chinese medicine feed and ginger extract bath on co-infection of Ichthyophthirius multifiliis and Dactylogyrus ctenopharyngodonid in grass carp

Dactylogyrus ctenopharyngodonid and Ichthyophthirius multifiliis are two important ectoparasites of freshwater fish. Co-infection by the two parasites leads to high fish mortality and results in heavy economic losses. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of medicated feed and a ginger extract bath against D. ctenopharyngodonid and I. multifiliis on grass carp and investigate the hematological response of grass carp co-infected by the two parasites. These results demonstrated that red blood cell (RBC) and thrombocyte percentage among leucocytes significantly decreased after grass carp were co-infected by D. ctenopharyngodonid and I. multifiliis. The monocyte and neutrophil percentages significantly increased with the increment of parasite mean intensities, while the lymphocyte percentage decreased. The activities of serum acid phosphatase (ACP), alkaline phosphatase (AKP), lysozyme (LZM), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) significantly increased after co-infection. When grass carp treated with medicated feed containing 4% of Astragalus membranaceus, Allium sativum, Morus alba, and Glycyrrhiza uralensis, the activities of ACP, AKP, LZM, and SOD were significantly enhanced, and the mean intensities of D. ctenopharyngodonid and I. multifiliis were significantly decreased. When grass carp was treated with medicated feed and a 4-mg/L ginger extract bath, all parasites were eliminated during 28 days. The bath of ginger extract at a concentration of 4 mg/L kept a low mean intensity of I. multifiliis and D. ctenopharyngodonid, then the two parasites were eliminated by oral administration of the medicated feed with an immunostimulant (Chinese medicine compound).