This paper reviews the immunomodulatory effects (immunosuppression or immunoactivation) of various anthelmintics including levamisole, fenvalerate, dieldrin, carbofuran, aminocarb, thiabendazole, fenbendazole, oxfendazole and ivermectin. The induced modulation of immune function may occur via direct and/or indirect mechanisms. The immunomodulatory effects of these anti-parasitics have been studied in a variety of bacterial (e.g. brucellosis, salmonellosis, paratuberculosis, mastitis), viral (e.g. infectious bovine rhinotracheitis, Herpes, foot and mouth disease), parasitic (e.g. onchocerciasis, coccidiosis, ascariasis, schistosomiasis) and neoplastic diseases. Some antiparasitics have also been used to boost immunity in a number of human diseases including leprosy, Hodgkin's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and in adjuvanted therapy of colorectal cancer. The ability to stimulate the immune response of animals offers a new means of disease intervention. Future research on immunomodulatory effects of anti-parasitics, for humans and domestic farm animals, will provide additional methods of treating immunosuppressed subjects. The immunopotentiating or immunosuppressing activity of anti-parasitics will dictate whether co-administration of vaccines and anthelmintics or administration of vaccines during the window of immunoactivation is justified or not.

Permethrin, deltamethrin, fenvalerate and cypermethrin were evaluated for their termiticidal efficacy in a graveyard test. Semul wood, Salmalia malabaricum veneers (size 15.00 × 6.00 × 0.06 cm) were impregnated with concentrations of 0.25, 0.50 and 0.75% aqueous solution of these chemicals. Fenvalerate provided 100% protection for 44 months at all three concentrations. Cypermethrin provided 100% protection at 0.50 and 0.75% concentrations, while permethrin and deltamethrin provided 100% protection at 0.75% concentration for 7 and 10 months, respectively.

Laboratory bioassay tests showed that Bacillus thuringiensis (B.t.) (Bactospeine) treatment of second instar larvae of Heliothis armigera (Hbn.) and Spodoptera litura F. increased their susceptibility to endosulfan, monocrotophos, fenvalerate and cypermethrin. The LC50 of these insecticides to both the species of larvae were lowered when treated with B.t. Comparison of susceptibility ratios showed that the increased susceptibility to insecticides was more in H. armigera than in S. litura larvae.

Studies conducted using laboratory and field bioassays showed that cypermethrin (b = −1.691) had a significantly (P < 0.05) higher and longer residual action at 7,14,21 and 28 days after application than did fenvalerate (b = −2.28) and permethrin (b = −1.871) against Dysdercus fasciatus Sign, and D. nigrofasciatus Stal. when coefficient regression analyses were performed. Residual action of fenvalerate and permethrin was regarded as being identical over the same experimental period in the field since their regression coefficients were not significantly (P > 0.05) different from each other.

It was also shown by these studies that the effective interval between applications was 21 days for cypermethrin and 14 days when fenvalerate and permethrin were applied. This finding has important practical implications in the adoption of an integrated approach aimed at minimizing damage to cotton by D. nigrofasciatus.