Author
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Mitchell, Andrew |
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Submitted to: Southern Conference of Researchers in Aquatic Diseases
Publication Type: Abstract Only Publication Acceptance Date: 2/8/2004 Publication Date: 2/8/2004 Citation: Mitchell, A.J. 2004. Praziquantel bath treatments against the asian tapeworm in grass carp [abstract]. In: Southern Conference of Researchers in Aquatic Diseases. p. 25. Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: Many states ban the importation of fish infested with the Asian tapeworm Bothriocephalus acheilognathi. Treatment with an effective tapeworm parasiticide (one that would eliminate all tapeworms) would allow the shipment of fish that would otherwise be rejected. Extended bath treatments of infected grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idellus with praziquantel were tested to determine efficacy against Asian tapeworms. Initial treatments of 0.7 mg praziquantel/L or more for an exposure period of 24 h at fish densities of 68.8 g of grass carp/L of water or less were effective in eliminating all the worms from 22 g grass carp. When the treatment duration was lowered to 12 h, 2.8 mg praziquantel/L (four times the treatment rate) was required for complete worm elimination. In later tests, 0.5, 0.7, 1.0 and 1.5 mg/L praziquantel for a 24 h exposure significantly reduced the infestation rate from greater than 30 worms /fish in the non-treated control group to less than 6 worms/fish in the treated groups. The grass carp in these tests averaged 88 g/fish and were treated at a density of 6 g of fish/L of water. The 1.5 mg/L treatment was the only dose that eliminated all tapeworms. When the density of fish was raised to 60g/L of water, 4 of 30 fish were found with a single worm after treatment with 1.5 mg praziquantel/L. Further work with higher rates of praziquantel at different exposure periods and fish densities is planned. |
