EFFECTIVE, SINGLE-DOSE TREATMENT OF PORCINE CYSTICERCOSIS WITH OXFENDAZOLE

The pig is a vital link in the transmission cycle of Taenia solium, th e cestode responsible for human-porcine cysticercosis. Infected pigs a lso represent an important source of economic loss to farmers in devel oping countries. Past efforts to find an adequate therapeutic regimen to treat this parasitic disease in swine have failed because of low ef ficacy, high cost, side effects, or the need for multiple doses. In th is randomized, no treatment-controlled study, the efficacy and safety of oxfendazole and praziquantel for the treatment of porcine cysticerc osis were evaluated in 16 naturally infected pigs. Four groups of four pigs were treated with oxfendazole, praziquantel, oxfendazole plus pr aziquantel, or untreated. The pigs were humanely killed 12 weeks post- treatment, the number of cysts was counted, and parasite viability was assessed by cyst evagination. No detectable side effects were seen in any of the pigs. Praziquantel treatment alone appeared to reduce the number of cysts, but did not decrease the viability of the remaining p arasites. Treatment with oxfendazole alone or oxfendazole plus praziqu antel killed all of the parasites, and left only microcalcifications i n the meat. Oxfendazole provides, for the first time, a practical, eff ective, inexpensive, and single-dose therapy for porcine cysticercosis .