Abstract
Objective:
To assess the efficacy of praziquantel as a treatment for cardiovascular flukes in turtles.
Procedure:
Six green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) spontaneously infected with cardiovascular flukes (Digenea: Spirorchiidae) were treated orally with praziquantel, and necropsied 3 or 7 days later to look for flukes in the heart and major blood vessels. Six similar animals were maintained as untreated controls.
Results:
Absence of flukes in treated, but not control turtles, indicated that a one day course of treatment at a dose rate of 3 x 50 mg/kg body weight is effective.
Conclusion:
This result should be of value for preventing disease in wild caught green turtles introduced into farms or aquaria.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Administration, Oral
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Alanine Transaminase / blood
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Animals
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Antiplatyhelmintic Agents / administration & dosage
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Antiplatyhelmintic Agents / standards
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Antiplatyhelmintic Agents / therapeutic use*
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Aspartate Aminotransferases / blood
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Blood Vessels / parasitology
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Body Weight / physiology
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Cardiovascular Diseases / drug therapy
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Cardiovascular Diseases / prevention & control
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Cardiovascular Diseases / veterinary*
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Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
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Heart / parasitology
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Praziquantel / administration & dosage
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Praziquantel / standards
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Praziquantel / therapeutic use*
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Trematoda / isolation & purification
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Trematode Infections / drug therapy
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Trematode Infections / parasitology
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Trematode Infections / veterinary*
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Turtles / parasitology*
Substances
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Antiplatyhelmintic Agents
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Praziquantel
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Aspartate Aminotransferases
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Alanine Transaminase