Efficacy of praziquantel in the treatment of green sea turtles with spontaneous infection of cardiovascular flukes.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the efficacy of praziquantel as a treatment for cardiovascular flukes in turtles.


METHODS
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.


CONCLUSIONS
This result should be of value for preventing disease in wild caught green turtles introduced into farms or aquaria.
Adnyana
W
W
James Cook University of North Queensland, Townsville.
Ladds
P W
PW
Blair
D
D
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D000980:Antiplatyhelmintic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000592:standards / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000469:parasitology; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006321:Heart / Q000469:parasitology; D011223:Praziquantel / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000592:standards / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014200:Trematoda / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014201:Trematode Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D014426:Turtles / Q000469:parasitology*
D000980:Antiplatyhelmintic Agents; D011223:Praziquantel; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase