THERAPEUTIC EFFICACY OF HALOFUGINONE AND SPIRAMYCIN TREATMENT AGAINSTCRYPTOSPORIDIUM-SERPENTIS (APICOMPLEXA, CRYPTOSPORIDIIDAE) INFECTIONSIN CAPTIVE SNAKES

The therapeutic effect of halofuginone hydrobromide (Steronol) and spi ramycin solubilized (Spirasol) applied to clinical Cryptosporidium ser pentis infections in captive snakes was investigated. Pathological cha nges induced by C. serpentis were typical for snake cryptosporidiosis. Spiramycin induced no significant change in the pattern of shedding o f fecal Cryptosporidium oocysts; biopsies and necropsies revealed cryp tosporidiosis in gastric mucosa of all spiramycin-treated animals. In all, 8 of 21 (38%) halofuginone-treated snakes stopped shedding C. ser pentis oocysts; examination of gastric tissue of 6 of these 8 animals revealed cryptosporidiosis in 2 snakes. Hepatotoxic and nephrotoxic pa thological changes induced by halofuginone included focal or multifoca l, severe, acute liver necrosis; severe liver hemosiderosis; and bilat eral, severe, acute diffuse cortical and tubular necrosis and iron dep osition. Postprandial regurgitation associated with midbody swelling, observed in 4 halofuginone-treated and 2 spiramycin-treated snakes at 15 and 21 weeks after drug withdrawal, did not coincide with oocyst-po sitive feces. Neither halofuginone nor spiramycin treatment produced a satisfactory therapeutic outcome when applied against clinical C, ser pentis infections in snakes.