Use of praziquantel to control platyhelminth parasites of fish

Abstract

Fish are common definitive and intermediate hosts for a variety of parasitic flatworms. In unstressed wild populations, parasitic infections often go unnoticed and are perceived to represent a lesser threat to fish health. In contrast, platyhelminth parasitism of captive fish often results in decreased weight gain and increased mortality which often necessitates chemotherapeutic treatment. The presence of platyhelminth parasites in fish tissues is not only unappealing but in some cases also represents a threat to human health. In veterinary medicine, one of the most commonly used agents with anti‐flatworm activity is praziquantel; yet, no praziquantel products are labeled for use in fish in the United States. Veterinarians may use praziquantel preparations approved for other vertebrate species under the Animal Medicinal Drug Use Clarification Act (AMDUCA). However, such extra‐label use should be informed by scientific evidence including efficacy and tissue residue studies. Herein, we review studies testing the efficacy of praziquantel for treatment of platyhelminthes along with an assessment of routes of administration, pharmacokinetics, and toxicity information.

Determination of Praziquantel in Sparus aurata L. after Administration of Medicated Animal Feed

“…Currently, no residue limit exists for PZQ in fish for human consumption, probably because its use is forbidden in several countries. For this reason, no detectable quantity of PZQ should be revealed in fish for human consumption [3]. Nowadays, only few studies report the analysis of PZQ residues in fish after in-feed treatment, using different doses, times of administration and fish species [21,22].…”

“…Most of these studies describe pharmacokinetic differences among fish species in different environmental conditions after oral treatment with PZQ doses ranging from 10 to 500 mg/kg BW [3,8].…”

“…Praziquantel (PZQ) is an antiparasitic drug efficacious against Platyhelminthes; its mechanism of action is probably linked to the ability to alter membrane permeability and Ca 2+ homeostasis through its linkage to voltage-gated Ca 2+ channels [2]. It can be administered through different routes (oral, topical and parental) [3], but when considering intensive aquaculture, where large quantity of fish are farmed together in a facility, the most convenient administration method is the oral route through food. This method has the major disadvantage that it is not possible assume that all fish will take the same dose of drug, and the sub-therapeutic dose can eventually lead to drug-resistant infections [3].…”

“…It can be administered through different routes (oral, topical and parental) [3], but when considering intensive aquaculture, where large quantity of fish are farmed together in a facility, the most convenient administration method is the oral route through food. This method has the major disadvantage that it is not possible assume that all fish will take the same dose of drug, and the sub-therapeutic dose can eventually lead to drug-resistant infections [3]. In spite of these challenges, the in-feed administration of PZQ is currently used because of the possibility to treat a large population of captive fish without stress and in an easy way.…”

Rapid detection of praziquantel using monoclonal antibody-based ic-ELISA and immunochromatographic strips

“…Due to its rapid absorption, efficacy, and ease of use in aquatic organisms, its application has widely expanded (Xu, Dong, Yang, & Ai, 2016). However, the misuse and abuse of PZQ in aquaculture may result in drug residues in aquatic products (Bader, Starling, Jones, & Brewer, 2019) and in bio-resistance in fish and other organisms (Gold et al, 2017;Maeder et al, 2016;Vale et al, 2017). In humans, PZQ residues have detrimental effects on liver function (Hong, 2018).…”