Efficacy of a single dose of milbemycin oxime/praziquantel combination tablets, Milpro®, against adult Echinococcus multilocularis in dogs and both adult and immature E. multilocularis in young cats

Abstract

Two single-site, laboratory, negatively controlled, masked, randomised dose confirmation studies were performed: one in dogs, the other in cats. After a period of acclimatisation, both the dogs and cats were orally infected with Echinococcus multilocularis protoscoleces. In the dog study, 10 dogs received a single dose of Milpro® tablets at a minimum dose of 0.5 mg/kg milbemycin oxime and 5 mg/kg praziquantel 18 days post-infection and 10 dogs received no treatment. In the cat study, 10 cats received a single dose of Milpro® tablets at a minimum dose of 2 mg/kg milbemycin oxime and 5 mg/kg praziquantel 7 days post-infection, 10 cats received a single dose of the treatment 18 days post-infection and 10 cats remained untreated. In both studies, intestinal worm counts were performed 23 days post-infection at necropsy. No worms were retrieved from any of the 30 treated animals. Nine of 10 control dogs had multiple worms (geometric mean 91, arithmetic mean 304) and all 10 control cats had multiple worms (geometric mean 216, arithmetic mean 481). The difference in worm counts between all three treated groups and their controls was highly significant (ANOVA p values of log transformed data <0.0001). Efficacy of 100 % was demonstrated for the elimination of adult E. multilocularis in dogs and cats as well as for elimination of immature E. multilocularis in cats as evidenced by the effectiveness of treatment 7 days post-infection. The treatments were well accepted and tolerated, and there were no adverse drug reactions observed.

Echinococcosis: Advances in the 21st Century

“…Current prevention and control of CE relies on the provision of safe animal slaughtering conditions (offal destruction and preventing dogs from feeding on infected organs of ungulates) and on dosing dogs with praziquantel (234). With notable exceptions, such as New Zealand, Tasmania, Iceland, Cyprus (at least temporarily), Chile, and some provinces in Argentina (3), other attempts at control have been generally disappointing.…”

Development and validation of an LC–MS/MS method for the simultaneous quantification of milbemycin oxime and praziquantel in plasma: application to a pharmacokinetic study in cats

“…Companion animals may be exposed to infections from internal and external parasites ( 13 ). MBO has recently been used in combination with PZQ to develop new treatments against cestodes, nematodes, and ectoparasites in companion animals ( 14 , 15 ). MBO/PZQ chewable tablets was approved by US-FDA for the prevention of heartworm disease caused by Dirofilaria immitis and for the treatment and control of adult roundworm ( Toxocara canis , Toxascaris leonina ), adult hookworm ( Ancylostoma caninum ), adult whipworm ( Trichuris vulpis ), and adult tapeworm ( Taenia pisiformis , Echinococcus multilocularis , and Echinococcus granulosus ) infections ( 16 ).…”

“…MBO/PZQ chewable tablets was approved by US-FDA for the prevention of heartworm disease caused by Dirofilaria immitis and for the treatment and control of adult roundworm ( Toxocara canis , Toxascaris leonina ), adult hookworm ( Ancylostoma caninum ), adult whipworm ( Trichuris vulpis ), and adult tapeworm ( Taenia pisiformis , Echinococcus multilocularis , and Echinococcus granulosus ) infections ( 16 ). The utilization of a combination of MBO and PZQ for cats, exemplified by Milpro® (Virbac, France) and Milbemax® (Novartis, France), has obtained approval ( 15 , 17 ).…”

Induction of Immunogenic Response in BALB/c Mice by Live and Killed Form of Recombinant Lactococcus lactis Displaying EG95 of Echinococcus granulosus

“…The high prevalence of the CE in many areas of the world influences public health and is considered as a main factor for remarkable economic losses among livestock animals, particularly in highly endemic regionss [ 3 ] . Currently, the control of CE mainly depends on the disposal of the infected offal, preventing dogs from feeding on infected livestock viscera and periodic treatment of dogs with praziquantel [ 4 ] . Moreover, vaccination of sheep has been recommended as a complementary and effective approach to control CE transmission by interrupting the tapeworm life cycle [ 5 - 8 ]…”