Chemotherapy of experimental Echinococcus granulosus infection. Trials in CF1 mice and jirds (Meriones unguiculatus).

Mice and jirds with experimental secondary hydatidosis (Echinococus granulous) were treated at various post-infection periods with eight different drugs; iodinized oil of thymol, ethyl-N-dimethyl ether of thymol fumarate, chloroguanide, rifampin, pentamidine isethionate, amphotericin B, suramin, and methotrexate. In initial experiments with methotrexate, mice treated after 99 days of infection had significantly fewer infections at necropsy than did controls (33% and 100%, respecitively). However, in subsequent studies at three dose levels of methotrexate in mice 10 days after infection and in mice and jirds 240 days post infection, no significant differences were found in the percentage of animals infected, cyst size, or number between treated and control animals. The other drugs tested were similarly without effect under the experimental conditions used.

The ovicidal effect of selected chemicals against eggs of Echinococcus granulosus.

The ovicidal activity of various chemicals against eggs of E. granulosus was evaluated by measuring infectivity to CF(1) mice after exposing the eggs to aqueous solutions of the chemicals for 1 h at room temperature. Significant reductions in infectivity were observed in eggs treated with Lugol's iodine, 0.015% ammonium dodecylbenzenesulfonate, 70% ethanol, or 5% or 10% glutaraldehyde. No cysts developed in 10 mice that received doses of 1 000 eggs treated with 5% glutaraldehyde, and only 1 of 10 mice developed cysts after exposure to eggs treated with 10% glutaraldehyde.