Albendazole is effective in controlling monogeneans in Colossoma macropomum (Serrasalmidae): therapeutic baths and their physiological and histopathological effects.

In aquaculture worldwide, most of the chemotherapeutic agents used for disease control and treatment are unregulated chemical products derived from agriculture. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of therapeutic baths with albendazole against the monogeneans Anacanthorus spathulatus, Notozothecium janauachensis and Mymarothecium boegeri, which infest the gills of Colossoma macropomum, and the hematological and histopathological effects of this anthelmintic agent on these fish. Albendazole at a concentration of 500 mg/L was used in three baths of 24 hours each, with intervals of 24 hours between these baths. Three replications of this treatment were used, and the control group consisted of water from the cultivation tank. Afterwards, hematological, histopathological and parasitological analyses were conducted. We found that the therapeutic baths with albendazole at 500 mg/L presented high efficacy (94.9%) against monogeneans de C. macropomum and caused few physiological or histopathological alterations. Therefore, baths with albendazole at 500 mg/L, as used in this strategy, can be recommended for controlling and treating infections by monogeneans in C. macropomum.

Follow up study of symptomatic human cystic echinococcosis treatment with albendazole and praziquantel, in Uruguay.

BACKGROUND: Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a chronic disease considered a neglected one. Cystic echinococcosis is endemic in Uruguay and the region. Surgery, using various technical approaches, has the potential to safely remove the cyst(s) and lead to a complete cure in a high number of patients with simple forms of CE. However, surgery may be impractical in patients with multiple cysts in several organs, high surgical risk, or in patients with previous multiple surgeries. In these cases, the pharmacological treatment with the benzimidazolic drug Albendazole (ABZ) alone or combined with Praziquantel (PZQ), has been promising as the best choice to achieve improvement or cure. METHODS: In this study, we analyze the results obtained on the anti-parasitic treatment of 43 patients diagnosed with CE between the years 2003 and 2020. Patients were treated before and/or after surgery with ABZ or the combination ABZ/PZQ. The standardize protocol of the anti-parasitic drug treatment before surgery was 7 days, 15 days or 1 month depending on the urgency and availability of the surgical procedure. All cases that involved confirmed locations on lungs underwent immediate surgery with minimal pre-treatment when possible. After surgery, the standardize protocol of anti-parasitic drug treatment consisted of six cycles of 30 days each and resting intervals of 15 days in between. ABZ was used in all cases, administered orally, twice daily, at a total dosage of 15 mg/kg/day, with food high in fat content for improved absorption. The follow up was carried out according to WHO-IWGE guidelines for 5 years. RESULTS: Of the 43 patients fourteen were ≤ 15 years of age and had a differentiated pre-surgical treatment. From the ≥ 16 years of age, 36 completed the treatments and the 5 years follow up. Four patients changed geographical locations, without a forwarding contact, after the post-surgery treatment. No patient died during the study. Of the 36 patients that completed the study, 32 were treated only with ABZ; 93.75% achieved treatment success as determined by improvement or cure, and 6.25% treatment failure determined by no change or worsening. The last four patients received the ABZ/PZQ combination therapy and achieved 100% treatment success. CONCLUSION: The pharmacological treatment resulted in a good option not only as palliative but also as potentially curative. The main relevance of its use was in cases with previous multiple surgeries or surgeries with potential life-threatening complications due to the number and location of cysts and concurrent comorbidities. A follow-up of at least 5 years would be recommended to assure remission and control of the transmission. More randomized trials are needed to provide clear clinical evidence of different pharmacological treatments for CE.

Efficacy of Single-Dose Albendazole and Albendazole Plus Ivermectin for Soil-Transmitted Helminth Infection in Children in the Peruvian Amazon.

In countries where soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections are endemic, deworming programs are recommended to reduce morbidity; however, increasing levels of resistance to benzimidazoles are of concern. In an observational study in Peru, we studied the clinical efficacy of 400 mg of albendazole 20 days after treatment among children aged 2-11 years. Of 426 participants who provided samples, 52.3% were infected with a STH, 144 (33.8%) were positive for Ascaris (41.8% light, 50.8% moderate, and 7.4% heavy infections), 147 (34.5%) were positive for Trichuris (75.2% light, 22.5% moderate, and 2.3% heavy infections), and 1.1% were positive for hookworm species (100% light infections). Additional stool samples were examined at 20, 90, and 130 days after the initial treatment. At 20 days post-administration of albendazole, the cure rate (CR) of Ascaris infection was 80.1% (95% CI: 73.5-86.7), and the egg reduction rate (ERR) was 70.8% (95% CI: 57.8-88.7); the CR for Trichuris infection was 27.1% (95% CI: 20.0-34.3), and the ERR was 29.8% (95% CI: -1.40 to 57.5). Among participants with persistent or recurrent infections with Trichuris, the combined therapy of albendazole (400 mg) and ivermectin at 600 µg/dose increased overall CR for Trichuris infection to 75.2% (95% CI: 67.3-83.2%) with an ERR of 84.2% (95% CI: 61.3-93.8%). Albendazole administration alone for the control of STH was associated with high rates of treatment failure, especially for Trichuris. Combined single doses of albendazole and ivermectin was observed to have improved efficacy.

Gnathostoma infection after ingestion of raw fish is a probable cause of eosinophilic meningitis in the Brazilian Amazon.

We report a case of eosinophilic meningitis associated with the ingestion of raw fish (Cichla sp.) from the Brazilian Amazon, likely caused by Gnathostoma. A 36-year-old male visited Juruena river on a fishing trip. After 50 days, the patient presented with an intense frontal headache. A cerebrospinal fluid examination revealed 63% eosinophilia. Another individual who ingested raw fish developed linear dermatitis on the abdominal wall. Anti-Gnathostoma serum antibodies were detected, and the patient made a full recovery after treatment with corticosteroids and albendazole. To date, autochthonous Gnathostoma spp. infections in Latin American countries have only caused linear panniculitis. This report raises awareness of gnathostomiasis-causing meningitis.

Albendazole metabolites excretion in human saliva as a biomarker to assess treatment compliance in mass drug administration (MDA) anthelmintic programs.

Soil-transmitted-helminth (STH) infections continue to be a persistent global public health problem. Control strategies for STH have been based on the use of mass drug administration (MDA). Coverage and compliance assessment is critical to understanding the true effectiveness of albendazole (ABZ) in those MDA programs. The aims of this work were to characterize the pattern of albendazole and metabolites excretion in human saliva, and to develop a saliva-based biomarker (HPLC drug/metabolite detection) useful to accurately estimate the coverage/compliance in MDA campaigns. The study subjects were 12 healthy volunteers treated with a single oral dose of ABZ (400 mg). Saliva and blood (dried blood spot, DBS) samples were taken previously and between 2 and 72 h post-treatment. The samples were analyzed by HPLC with UV detection, C18 reversed-phase column. ABZ sulphoxide was the main analyte recovered up to 72 h p.t. in blood and saliva. The concentration profiles measured in the blood (DBS samples) were higher (P < 0.05) than those in saliva, however, this ABZ-metabolite was recovered longer in saliva. The in vivo measurement of drugs/metabolites in saliva samples from ABZ-treated volunteers offers strong scientific evidence to support the use of saliva as a valid biological sample for assessing compliance in MDA programs.

Revisiting anthelmintic resistance in sheep flocks from São Paulo State, Brazil.

Haemonchus contortus and Trichostrongylus colubriformis are the most important gastrointestinal nematodes causing serious losses in sheep production of tropical and subtropical regions. Prophylaxis of gastrointestinal nematode infections is based on anthelmintics use, but their frequent administration selects multiple-resistant parasites. To evaluate how the situation has changed over the last decades, the anthelmintic resistance status of gastrointestinal nematodes in sheep flocks was assessed in the current study and compared to previous surveys. In each one of the 15 flocks evaluated, animals (n ≥ 7) were allocated into at least five groups and treated as follows: 1) untreated control; 2) albendazole; 3) levamisole; 4) ivermectin; and 5) monepantel. If more animals were available, two additional groups were included: 6) closantel, and 7) moxidectin. The faecal egg count reduction test (FECRT) was carried out to evaluate the pre- and post-treatment using the SHINY tool. Haemonchus spp. was the most prevalent nematode from faecal cultures. The mean efficacy of albendazole was 40%. Only in two farms, levamisole presented a relatively high percentage of reduction in the FECRT about 90%, while ivermectin and moxidectin presented the worst mean efficacy of 34% and 21% among all farms, respectively. Like other anthelmintics, closantel demonstrated low efficacy (63%) across all farms evaluated. Monepantel presented an overall mean efficacy of 79%, but it was the only anthelmintic that presented efficacy ≥95%, in five farms. The results revealed that gastrointestinal nematodes with multiple anthelmintic resistance were prevalent in all 15 sheep herds. The research suggests that nematodes are becoming more and more resistant to various anthelmintic compounds, which has made the problem worse. This circumstance highlights the necessity to put into practice sustainable and long-lasting methods to prevent gastrointestinal nematode infections in sheep husbandry.

Understanding the pathogenic mechanisms and therapeutic effects in neurocysticercosis.

Despite being a leading cause of acquired seizures in endemic regions, the pathological mechanisms of neurocysticercosis are still poorly understood. This study aims to investigate the impact of anthelmintic treatment on neuropathological features in a rat model of neurocysticercosis. Rats were intracranially infected with Taenia solium oncospheres and treated with albendazole + praziquantel (ABZ), oxfendazole + praziquantel (OXF), or untreated placebo (UT) for 7 days. Following the last dose of treatment, brain tissues were evaluated at 24 h and 2 months. We performed neuropathological assessment for cyst damage, perilesional brain inflammation, presence of axonal spheroids, and spongy changes. Both treatments showed comparable efficacy in cyst damage and inflammation. The presence of spongy change correlated with spheroids counts and were not affected by anthelmintic treatment. Compared to white matter, gray matter showed greater spongy change (91.7% vs. 21.4%, p < 0.0001), higher spheroids count (45.2 vs. 0.2, p = 0.0001), and increased inflammation (72.0% vs. 21.4%, p = 0.003). In this rat model, anthelmintic treatment destroyed brain parasitic cysts at the cost of local inflammation similar to what is described in human neurocysticercosis. Axonal spheroids and spongy changes as markers of damage were topographically correlated, and not affected by anthelmintic treatment.

First known case of human bertiellosis in a child in Paraná, Brazil.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the first known case of human Bertiellosis in Paraná (Brazil). CASE DESCRIPTION: A 6-year-old male residing in the Brazilian state of Paraná was suffering from intermittent nonspecific abdominal pain and abdominal distension, associated with expulsion of live tapeworms in his feces for 7 months. He had a history of interaction with monkeys on an island. His first feces analysis was inconclusive, with an initial hypothesis of an atypical Taenia. However, after additional research, the parasitologist identified pregnant proglottids of Bertiella sp. The patient was initially treated with an unknown dosage of albendazole and nitazoxanide, as it was believed he had been infected with Taenia sp. Since the symptoms persisted, praziquantel 10 mg/kg was prescribed without further proglottids elimination. COMMENTS: Human Bertiellosis is a rare zoonosis, with less than one hundred cases reported. However, it is a cause of chronic abdominal pain and should be kept as a differential diagnosis, especially in cases reporting recurrent tapeworm expulsion in feces and refractory treatment with albendazole.

PRESCRIBING PATTERNS AND THE USE OF ANTHELMINTIC DRUGS IN COLOMBIAN PATIENTS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY.

Intestinal parasites continue to be a public health problem in low- and middle-income countries. Broad use of anthelmintics during deworming programs is still necessary in many regions. However, description of the usage of these medications in general medical practice has been limited. The objective of this study was to determine the use of anthelmintic drugs and their indications in a group of Colombian patients. This was a descriptive study from a drug-dispensing database, identifying patients with prescriptions for anthelmintic drugs. A total of 381 cases were randomly selected, and their medical records were reviewed, analyzing sociodemographic, clinical, and pharmacological variables (indication of use). The lack of diagnosis registration or clinical manifestations of parasites was determined as a prescription without indication. In total, 50.9% (n = 194) of patients were female, and 67.4% of all patients were under 18 yr of age. The diagnosis of helminthiases was clearly stated in 114 (29.9%) patients, and only 4.2% (n = 16) of these had microbiological confirmation. The most commonly used anthelmintic drug was albendazole (70.4% of all prescriptions). The use of anthelmintics was not indicated in 266 cases (69.8%). Nutritional supplements or vitamin prescriptions were associated with using anthelmintics without indication (odds ratio: 2.25; 95% confidence interval: 1.26-4.03). A high proportion of patients lacked symptoms or diagnoses in their clinical records that supported the use of anthelmintic drugs.

Triclabendazole resistance in Fasciola hepatica: First report in sheep from the Santa Cruz province, Argentinian Patagonia.

In the fall of 2022, decreased triclabendazole (TCBZ) efficacy against F. hepatica was suspected in a sheep farm located in the Santa Cruz province, Argentinian Patagonia. Since TCBZ-resistance in F. hepatica has never been reported in this province, this study aimed to confirm potential TCBZ-resistance in F. hepatica and to evaluate the efficacy of closantel (CLO) and nitroxinil (NTX), through faecal egg count reduction test (FECRT), and the efficacy of albendazole (ABZ) through the in vitro egg hatch test (EHT) in sheep. Sixty-eight (68) animals were selected from a herd of eighty (80) female Merino naturally infected with F. hepatica based on eggs per gram of F. hepatica (EPGFh) counts and assigned into four (4) groups (n = 17 per group): Group Control, animals did not receive anthelmintic treatment; Group TCBZ, animals were orally treated with TCBZ (12 mg/kg); Group CLO, animals were orally treated with CLO (10 mg/kg); and Group NTX, animals were subcutaneously treated with NTX (10 mg/kg). The fluke egg output was monitored on days 0 and 21 post-treatment. For the EHT, liver fluke eggs were isolated from faecal samples (approx. 50 g) collected from animals of the control group. TCBZ efficacy against liver fluke was 53.4%, confirming the presence of TCBZ-resistant isolates on the farm. CLO and NTX were highly effective (100%) for the treatment of F. hepatica on this farm. The EHT was carried out in two different laboratories, in which was observed an ABZ efficacy of 95.8 (Bariloche) and 96.5% (Tandil). These results indicate the ABZ susceptibility of this F. hepatica isolate and the inter-laboratory precision of the test.

Albendazole - Ivermectin combination decreases inflammation in experimental neurocysticercosis.

Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is a public health issue in endemic regions and is considered the main preventable cause of neurologic disease. It is caused by the presence of Taenia solium cysticercus in the central nervous system. The current treatment is performed with anthelminthic drugs - albendazole (ABZ) or praziquantel - associated with anti-inflammatory and corticosteroids in order to prevent the negative effects of the inflammatory reaction to the parasite's death. Ivermectin (IVM) is an anthelminthic drug that has been shown to present an anti-inflammatory effect. The aim of this study was to was to evaluate the histopathologic aspects of experimental NCC after in vivo treatment with a combination of ABZ-IVM. Balb/c mice were intracranially inoculated with T. crassiceps cysticerci and after 30 days of infection were treated with a single dose of NaCl 0.9% (control group), ABZ monotherapy (40 mg/kg), IVM monotherapy (0.2 mg/kg) or a combination of ABZ-IVM. 24h after the treatment the animals were euthanized and the brain was removed for histopathologic analysis. The IVM monotherapy and ABZ-IVM combination showed more degenerated cysticerci, less inflammatory infiltration, meningitis and hyperemia than the other groups. Therefore, it is possible to recommend the combination of albendazole and ivermectin as alternative chemotherapy for NCC due to its antiparasitic and anti-inflammatory effects, with potential to decrease the negative effects of the inflammatory burst when the parasite is killed within the CNS.

Evaluation of a combination of Citrus aurantium var. Dulcis essential oil and albendazole for the treatment of sheep gastrointestinal nematodes.

Citrus fruits are consumed all over the world and their by-products are used for animal feed and essential oils production. This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo activity of Citrus aurantium var. Dulcis essential oil (CaEO) combined with ABZ against benzimidazole resistant Haemonchus contortus. In vitro egg hatching assays (EHA) were performed using CaEO and ABZ to estimate the effective concentration to achieve 50% egg death (EC50) values and calculate the test essential oil and drug combinations using a simplex-centroid mixture design. These concentrations were used for a second round of EHAs. Sixteen sheep were randomly allocated into two groups and treated with ABZ and the combination of CaEO and ABZ, and faecal egg count reduction tests were performed. In the first round of EHA, CaEO and ABZ showed EC50 values of 0.57 and 0.0048 mg mL-1, respectively. The H. contortus strain used in the study was shown to be highly benzimidazole resistant, with only 1.5% of parasites having susceptible ß-tubulin SNP genotypes. The ABZ reduced the shedding of nematode eggs by 78%, however, its combination with CaEO reduced faecal egg counts by only 9%. The present study is important to highlight the interferences of natural products in anthelmintic metabolism and consequently in drug efficacy.

Hidatidosis subcutánea primaria / Primary subcutaneous hydatid disease: a case report

La hidatidosis o equinococosis quística es una zoonosis parasitaria endémica causada por el estadio larvario del cestode Echinococcus granulosus. El hígado y el pulmón son los órganos con afección más frecuente. Su ubicación subcutánea es una entidad rara, poco descrita, y por ende un reto diagnóstico. Describimos el caso de una mujer, de 18 años de edad, procedente de un área endémica, que presentó un quiste hidatídico primario supraclavicular.

Hydatid disease or cystic echinococcosis is an endemic parasitic zoonosis caused by the larval stage of the cestode Echinococcus granulosus, the liver and lung being the most frequently affected organs. Its subcutaneous location is a rare entity, little described, and therefore a diagnostic challenge. We describe the case of an 18-year-old woman from an endemic area who presented with a primary supraclavicular hydatid cyst.

Hidatidosis pancreática en una niña de 5 años / Pancreatic echinococcosis in a 5-year-old girl

La hidatidosis pancreática representa el 0,2-0,6 % de los casos, siendo la población pediátrica la de mayor riesgo. Las lesiones suelen localizarse en cabeza del páncreas (50-58 %); la localización en cuerpo y cola del páncreas se encuentra en el 24-34 % y el 19 %, respectivamente. Dada la posibilidad de complicaciones, suele realizarse tratamiento quirúrgico. Se sugiriere indicar albendazol antes y después del acto quirúrgico por los riesgos de ruptura y diseminación de los protoescólices. Se presenta el caso de una niña de 5 años de edad con dolor abdominal progresivo y lesión quística en páncreas compatible con hidatidosis en la ultrasonografía. En la tomografía computada se observa compresión de la vía biliar. La hemoaglutinación indirecta fue negativa. Presentó elevación de la bilirrubina total, con franco predominio de bilirrubina directa, y aumento de enzimas hepáticas. Se realizó laparotomía exploradora, colecistectomía y destechamiento del quiste. Evolucionó favorablemente, continuó con albendazol durante 3 meses luego de la cirugía.

Pancreatic echinococcosis accounts for 0.2­0.6% of cases, with the pediatric population being at a higher risk. Most commonly, pancreatic lesions occur in the head of the pancreas (50­58%); and in the body and tail in 24­34% and 19% of cases, respectively. Given the potential complications, surgery is usually performed. Albendazole is recommended before and after the surgery due to the risks for rupture and dissemination of protoscolices. Here we describe the case of a 5-year-old girl with progressive abdominal pain and cystic lesion in the pancreas compatible with echinococcosis in the ultrasound. The computed tomography showed bile duct compression. Indirect hemagglutination was negative. She had elevated total bilirubin, with a clear predominance of direct bilirubin, and high liver enzymes. Exploratory laparotomy, cholecystectomy, and unroofing of the cyst were performed. The patient had a favorable course and continued with albendazole for 3 months after the surgery.

Anthelmintic resistance in sheep in the semiarid region of Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Anthelmintic efficacy was evaluated among sheep that had become naturally infected with gastrointestinal nematodes in 17 flocks located in the semiarid region of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Feces were collected individually from 1021 hairy sheep to determine the number of eggs per gram of feces (EPG) and for coprocultures to identify nematode genera the nematodes. Only the animals that presented EPG counts greater than or equal to 200 were included in the study (totaling 381 sheep). The animals were divided into three treatment groups: albendazole, ivermectin and levamisole. Fourteen days after the administration of anthelmintics, fecal samples were taken from all animals. In each flock, the pre-treatment and post-treatment arithmetic mean EPG were used to calculate the efficacy (FECR) for each of the treatment groups and the lower 95% confidence limit. Data were analyzed with the "eggCounts 2.3" package in RStudio, using a Bayesian model for paired design. The anthelmintics were classified as being efficacious (when the FECR was both equal to or above 95% and the lower 95% confidence limit was equal to or above 90%) or as encountering anthelmintic resistance (when the FECR was below 95% and the lower 95% confidence limit was below 90%) or inconclusive (when none of the other criteria were fulfilled). Albendazole and ivermectin were not effective in any of the flocks. Levamisole was effective against gastrointestinal nematodes in 25% of the flocks studied. Haemonchus, Trichostrongylus and Oesophagostomum genera were identified in this study in a semiarid region of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The genus Haemonchus was the most prevalent, followed by Trichostrongylus and Oesophagostomum. After anthelmintic treatment, the most prevalent genus was Haemonchus, followed by Trichostrongylus; the genus Oesophagostomum was not detected. The highest percentage of Haemonchus larvae was observed after treatment with ivermectin, followed by albendazole and levamisole. This study revealed the existence of gastrointestinal nematodes in sheep that present multiple resistance to all three main classes of anthelmintic drugs.

Pancreatic echinococcosis in a 5-year-old girl. / Hidatidosis pancreática en una niña de 5 años.

Pancreatic echinococcosis accounts for 0.2-0.6% of cases, with the pediatric population being at a higher risk. Most commonly, pancreatic lesions occur in the head of the pancreas (50-58%); and in the body and tail in 24-34% and 19% of cases, respectively. Given the potential complications, surgery is usually performed. Albendazole is recommended before and after the surgery due to the risks for rupture and dissemination of protoscolices. Here we describe the case of a 5-year-old girl with progressive abdominalpain and cystic lesion in the pancreas compatible with echinococcosis in the ultrasound. The computed tomography showed bile duct compression. Indirect hemagglutination was negative. She had elevated total bilirubin, with a clear predominance of direct bilirubin, and high liver enzymes. Exploratory laparotomy, cholecystectomy, and unroofing of the cyst were performed. The patient had a favorable course and continued with albendazole for 3 months after the surgery.

La hidatidosis pancreática representa el 0,2-0,6 % de los casos, siendo la población pediátrica la de mayor riesgo. Las lesiones suelen localizarse en cabeza del páncreas (50-58 %); la localización en cuerpo y cola del páncreas se encuentra en el 24-34 % y el 19 %, respectivamente. Dada la posibilidad de complicaciones, suele realizarse tratamiento quirúrgico. Se sugiriere indicar albendazol antes y después del acto quirúrgico por los riesgos de ruptura y diseminación de los protoescólices. Se presenta el caso de una niña de 5 años de edad con dolor abdominal progresivo y lesión quística en páncreas compatible con hidatidosis en la ultrasonografía. En la tomografía computada se observa compresión de la vía biliar. La hemoaglutinación indirecta fue negativa. Presentó elevación de la bilirrubina total, con franco predominio de bilirrubina directa, y aumento de enzimas hepáticas. Se realizó laparotomía exploradora, colecistectomía y destechamiento del quiste. Evolucionó favorablemente, continuó con albendazol durante 3 meses luego de la cirugía.

Disseminated peritoneal cystic Echinococcosis in a patient with HIV: case report. / Equinococosis quística peritoneal diseminada en paciente con infección Por VIH: reporte de caso.

OBJECTIVES.: Cystic echinococcosis is a zoonotic infection caused by the larva of Echinococcus granulosus, which is capable of invading several organs starting from the human intestine. There are several complications in cases of co-infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which are conditioned by the immunosuppressive disease and have poor prognosis. This report aims to describe a case of multi-cystic peritoneal echinococcosis in a patient under antiviral treatment for HIV for almost ten years, who received albendazole, underwent surgery and progressed favorably. This would be the first Peruvian report of a person with HIV and cystic echinococcosis.

Anthelmintic intoxication in goats and sheep: A systematic review.

The objective of this study was to conduct research of the literature available in electronic media on anthelmintic intoxication in sheep and goats. The search for primary studies was carried out in five electronic databases: ScienceDirect, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and SciELO. The search terms used were (antihelmintic OR antiparasitic OR vermifuge) AND (poisoning OR toxicity OR overdose OR intoxication) AND (goat OR sheep). A total of 2361 articles were identified from the five databases: Science Direct (n = 1869), PubMed (n = 434), Scopus (n = 37), Web of Science (n = 16), and SciELO (n = 5). As 111 articles were found in duplicates, 2250 were left for review of the title and abstracts, of which 115 were read in full, and 28 were included in the systematic review. Of the 28 articles, 16 involved sheep, 9 involved goats, and 3 involved both species. Twelve drugs were identified in intoxication reports: albendazole (2), closantel (14), disophenol (1), ivermectin (1), levamisole (2), moxidectin (1), netobimin (1), nitroxinil (1), oxfendazole (2), parbendazole (2), tetramizole (1), and thiabendazole (1). The most prevalent symptoms of anthelmintic intoxication reported were showed involvement of the nervous, locomotor, and renal systems, as well as teratogenic influences. Data from this review underscore the need of the care required in the control of parasitic infections through the safe use of antiparasitic drugs to avoid cases of intoxication.

Phenotypic characterization and multiple resistance analysis in an experimentally selected albendazole-resistant hookworm isolate.

For some nematodes, alterations that leads to a resistance genotype may be accompanied by other modifications, causing changes in the biology of the parasite, although the exact mechanisms of this relationship are still not very clear. These alterations can have deleterious effects on their survival or even potentiate their pathogenicity. In this study a phenotypic characterization was carried out to compare two Ancylostoma ceylanicum isolates, a wild type one, kept in the laboratory and an albendazole selected resistant isolate (AceyBZR2). Differences in some analyzed parameters, between the two strains, were registered, as patency period, number and size of the recovered worms, including differences in the body structures. The AceyBZR2 isolate showed to be less adapted to the host, leading to a smaller number of recovered worms. However, no difference on the female egg content was observed between the two isolates. Concerning blood evaluation, no differences were found between the wild type and AceyBZR2 isolates, related to hemoglobin and hematocrit levels. However, animals in the group infected with the wild type isolate had lower serum iron concentrations than animals in the AceyBZR2 group. The possibility that the AceyBZR2 isolate might be resistant to other drugs was evaluated and it was demonstrated that it does not present cross-resistance to ivermectin and nitazoxanide. However, when animals infected with the AceyBZR2 were treated with another drug from the benzimidazoles group (mebendazole), the cross-resistance effect was observed. Morphometric analyses were performed comparing female and male adult worms from the two isolates. The results presented here allow a better understanding of the parasite-host relationship and may constitute a useful basis for establishing future control strategies for soil-transmitted helminths.