Comparison of efficacy of moxidectin and ivermectin in the treatment of Strongyloides fulleborni infection in rhesus macaques.
BACKGROUND
Strongyloides infection may result in clinical disease or confound experimental protocols that utilize non-human primates. There is presently a Strongyloides fulleborni infection rate of approximately 27% in the Tulane National Primate Research Center's breeding colonies despite the routine therapeutic and prophylactic use of ivermectin.


METHODS
A study was conducted to determine if moxidectin treatment offers advantages to the intestinal parasite control program. A total of 150 rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) that were removed from the breeding colonies due to illness were selected for the study. The animals were randomly assigned to treatment groups with 75 receiving ivermectin and 75 receiving moxidectin. Egg counts were performed on fecal samples collected pre- and post-treatment.


RESULTS
Both treatments resulted in decreases in the number of eggs/g in the post-treatment sample as compared with the pre-treatment sample; however, no significant difference was found between treatment groups.


CONCLUSIONS
With the data demonstrating a similar efficacy in both ivermectin and moxidectin treated macaques, the benefit of moxidectin treatment relates to biosafety and topical application.
Dufour
Jason P
JP
Division of Veterinary Medicine, Tulane National Primate Research Center, Covington, LA 70433, USA. jdufour@tulane.edu
Cogswell
Frank B
FB
Phillippi-Falkenstein
Kathrine M
KM
Bohm
Rudolf P
RP
D000287:Administration, Topical; D000818:Animals; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D007559:Ivermectin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D018942:Macrolides / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D008992:Monkey Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000469:parasitology*; D010270:Parasite Egg Count / Q000662:veterinary; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; D013321:Strongyloides / Q000254:growth & development*; D013322:Strongyloidiasis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*
D018942:Macrolides; D007559:Ivermectin; C027837:moxidectin