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Title: EFFECT OF DAILY PYRANTEL TARTRATE IN PREVENTING SARCOCYSTIS NEUERONA INFECTION IN EXPERIMENTALLY CHALLENGED HORSES

Author
item ROSSANO, MARY - MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
item SCHOFF II, HAROLD - MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
item KANEENE, JOHN - MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
item MURPHY, ALICE - MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
item KRUTTLIN, ELIZABETH - WASHINGTON STATE UNIV
item HINES, MELISSA - WASHINGTON STATE UNIV
item SELLON, DEBRA - WASHINGTON STATE UNIV
item PATTERSON, JON - WASHINGTON STATE UNIV
item ELSHEIKHA, HANY - MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
item Dubey, Jitender

Submitted to: American Journal of Veterinary Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/25/2004
Publication Date: 1/3/2005
Citation: Rossano, M.G., Schoff Ii, H.C., Kaneene, J.B., Murphy, A.J., Kruttlin, E.A., Hines, M.T., Sellon, D.C., Patterson, J.S., Elsheikha, H.M., Dubey, J.P. 2005. Effect of daily pyrantel tartrate in preventing sarcocystis neuerona infection in experimentally challenged horses. American Journal of Veterinary Research 66: 846-852.

Interpretive Summary: Sarcocysts neurona is a single-celled parasite that causes a fatal disease in horses. At present there is no effective therapy to prevent this infection in horses. Scientists at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center and the Michigan State University have found that pyrantel tartrate has no activity against S. neurona infection in horses. These results will be of interest to veterinarians, horse owners and parasitologists.

Technical Abstract: Objective - To determine whether daily administration of pyrantel tartrate prevents Sarcocystis neurona infection in horses. Design - Experimental challenge study Animals - 24 mix-breed, specific-pathogen-free weanling horses, 10 adult horses of various breeds, 1 opossum and 6 mice. Procedure - Sarcosytis neurona-naive weanling horses were randomized into two groups: group A received pyrantel tartrate (Strongid*CSXtm) at the label dose and group B received a placebo pellet. Both groups were orally inoculated with 100 sporocysts per day for 28 days, 500/day for 28 days and 1,000/day for 56 days. Blood was collected weekly and spinal fluid monthly. Eleven seronegative adult horses were monitored as untreated, uninfected controls. All serum and CSF samples were tested for antibodies to S. neurona b Western blot. At the end of the study, the numbers of seropositive and CSF-positive horses in groups A and B were compared using the Fisher's exact test. Time to seroconversion by treatment group and by horse gender was compared in two univariable Cox's proportionall hazards models. P <0.05 was set as the level for statistical sigificance.