Trichinosis is a parasitic zoonosis caused by the nematode Trichinella spiralis. Anthelmintics are used to eliminate intestinal adults as well as tissue-migrating and encysted larvae. This study aimed to investigate the effects of ivermectin and myrrh obtained from the aloe-gum resin of Commiphora molmol on experimental trichinosis. Ninety albino mice were orally infected with 300 T. spiralis larvae. Drugs were tested against adult worms at day 0 and day 5 and against encysted larvae on day 15 and day 35 post-infection (PI). Mature worms and encysted larvae were counted in addition to histopathological examination of muscle specimens. Serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total protein, albumin, globulin, urea, and creatinine values were estimated. Significant reductions in mean worm numbers were detected in ivermectin treated mice at day 0 and day 5 PI achieving efficacies of 98.5% and 80.0%, while efficacies of myrrh in treated mice were 80.7% and 51.5%, respectively. At days 15 and 35 post-infection, ivermectin induced significant reduction in encysted larval counts achieving efficacies of 76.5% and 54.0%, respectively, while myrrh efficacies were 76.6% and 35.0%, respectively. AST, ALT, urea, and creatinine levels were reduced, while total proteins were increased in response to both treatments compared to their values in the infected non-treated mice. Ivermectin use for controlling T. spiralis could be continued. Myrrh was effective and could be a promising drug against the Egyptian strains of T. spiralis with results nearly comparable to ivermectin.
Animals ; Antiparasitic Agents/administration & dosage/*pharmacology ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Ivermectin/administration & dosage/*pharmacology ; Mice ; Terpenes/administration & dosage/*pharmacology ; *Trichinella spiralis ; Trichinellosis/*drug therapy

Lymphatic filariasis is a common parasitic disease of cats in tropical regions including Thailand. The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of ivermectin against microfilariae of Brugia pahangi in naturally infected cats. Eight cats naturally infected with B. pahangi were divided into control (untreated) and treated groups. Cats in the latter group were given ivermectin injection at 400 microg/kg weekly for 2 months. Microfilariae were counted every week until 48 weeks. Microfilaremia was significantly decreased in the treated group 4 weeks after starting the treatment and become zero at week 9 and afterwards. On the other hand, cats in the control group had high microfilaremia throughout the study. It was successful to treat and control B. pahangi infection in naturally infected cats using ivermectin.
Animals ; Brugia pahangi/*isolation & purification ; Cat Diseases/*drug therapy/*parasitology ; Cats ; Elephantiasis, Filarial/drug therapy/parasitology/*veterinary ; Filaricides/*administration & dosage ; Ivermectin/*administration & dosage ; Parasite Load ; Thailand ; Treatment Outcome

The comparative efficacy of 2 anthelmintics (ivermectin and levamisole) against Baylisascaris transfuga migrating and encapsulated larvae was studied in mice. A total of 60 BALB/c mice inoculated each with about 1,000 embryonated B. transfuga eggs were equally divided into 6 groups (A-F) randomly. Mice of groups A and B were treated with ivermectin and levamisole, respectively, on day 3 post-infection (PI). Mice of groups A-C were killed on day 13 PI. Similarly, groups D and E were treated with ivermectin and levamisole, respectively, on day 14 PI, and all mice of groups D-F were treated on day 24 PI. The groups C and F were controls. Microexamination was conducted to count the larvae recovering from each mouse. The percentages of reduction in the number of migrating larvae recovered from group A (ivermectin) and B (levamisole) were 88.3% and 81.1%, respectively. In addition, the reduction in encapsulated larvae counts achieved by ivermectin (group D) and levamisole (group E) was 75.0% and 49.2%, respectively. The results suggested that, to a certain extent, both anthelmintics appeared to be more effective against migrating larvae than encapsulated larvae. However, in the incipient stage of infection, ivermectin may be more competent than levamisole as a larvicidal drug for B. transfuga.
Animals ; Anthelmintics/*administration & dosage ; Ascaridida Infections/*drug therapy/parasitology ; Ascaridoidea/*drug effects ; Disease Models, Animal ; Female ; Ivermectin/*administration & dosage ; Larva/drug effects ; Levamisole/*administration & dosage ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Rodent Diseases/drug therapy/parasitology ; Treatment Outcome