Tk. Graczyk et al., THERAPEUTIC EFFICACY OF HYPERIMMUNE BOVINE COLOSTRUM TREATMENT AGAINST CLINICAL AND SUBCLINICAL CRYPTOSPORIDIUM-SERPENTIS INFECTIONS IN CAPTIVE SNAKES, Veterinary parasitology, 74(2-4), 1998, pp. 123-132
Therapy based on the protective passive immunity of Hyperimmune Bovine
Colostrum (HBC) (raised against Cryptosporidium parvum in dairy cows
immunized during gestation) was tested for heterologous efficacy in su
bclinical and clinical infections of 12 captive snakes with C. serpent
is. Six gastric HBC treatments of 1% snake weight at 1-week. intervals
each, have histologically cleared C. serpentis in three subclinically
infected snakes, and regressed gastric histopathological changes in o
ne of these snakes. In all snakes, each subsequent HBC treatment signi
ficantly decreased the number of oocysts recovered in gastric lavage e
luants (P < 0.03). The treatments induced oocyst-negative gastric elua
nts and stools in all snakes, and improved clinical signs of infection
. Clinically infected snakes displayed severe histopathological change
s in the gastric region; however, the numbers of developmental stages
of C. serpentis were moderate. Considering the severity of pathology,
much lower than expected pathogen numbers were observed, and it is bel
ieved that clinically infected snakes did not have enough time to repa
ir tissue damage that had occurred over the years of infection. As the
HBC treatment was safe and highly efficacious, it is recommended to g
astrically administer the HBC therapeutically to snakes that ari: clin
ically or subclinically infected with C. serpentis. Hyperimmune bovine
colostrum can also be used in snake supportive therapy or prophylaxis
. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.