diclazuril and Diarrhea

A blinded, controlled, randomised field study was undertaken on two commercial dairy farms in Germany to compare the efficacy of the anticoccidials, diclazuril and toltrazuril in the prevention of bovine coccidiosis. A total of 86 calves aged between five and six weeks were randomly allocated to two treatment and one untreated control groups. Calves were monitored for 78 days post-treatment by clinical observation, bodyweight gain, faecal oocyst counts (FOCs) and coccidia species differentiation. Strategic treatments had no significant effect on bodyweight gains (P>0.05). Whilst the number of diarrhoea days was similar for all three groups from days 1 to 41, there was a significant difference in the number and percentage of diarrhoea days from day 42 with the diclazuril-treated group showing only one diarrhoea day compared with 9 days (P=0.0195) and 18 days (P=0.0027) for the control and toltrazuril-treated groups, respectively. FOCs in control calves fluctuated throughout the period of study indicating continued coccidia challenge. FOCs in the diclazuril-treated calves declined to low levels post-treatment, increasing to occasional counts >500 oocysts per gram of faeces (OPG) between days 27 and 42, but thereafter remained low. Calves treated with toltrazuril also showed low FOCs until day 40 but then showed several peaks of oocyst output >500 OPG coinciding with days of diarrhoea.

Topics: Animals; Cattle; Cattle Diseases; Coccidiosis; Coccidiostats; Diarrhea; Double-Blind Method; Feces; Germany; Nitriles; Treatment Outcome; Triazines

A blinded, controlled and randomised field study was conducted on a sheep farm with a known history of coccidiosis and a high prevalence mainly of the pathogenic coccidium Eimeria ovinoidalis. The efficacy of treatment with toltrazuril (Baycox 5% suspension) against natural infections with Eimeria crandallis and/or Eimeria ovinoidalis in housed lambs was investigated in comparison with diclazuril and untreated controls. Both drugs were administered either metaphylactically (i.e., in the prepatency of Eimeria spp.) or therapeutically (after onset of oocyst excretion). A total of 145 animals aged 1 to 5 days at the start of the study were included. Examination of faecal samples was performed every second day between days 13 and 49 of the study. The assessment of treatment efficacy was based mainly on total oocyst excretion and the number of E. crandallis and E. ovinoidalis oocysts (OPG) shed throughout the study. Oocyst excretion was reduced significantly in both groups treated with toltrazuril compared with the untreated control group and with both diclazuril-treated groups. The most prevalent and most severe diarrhoea was observed in the untreated control group. In this study, toltrazuril proved to be highly effective in controlling ovine coccidiosis both metaphylactically and therapeutically. The efficacy of toltrazuril was significantly higher than the efficacy of the control substance with regard to the duration and amount of oocyst excretion, both for the comparison of metaphylactic as well as therapeutic treatment.

Topics: Animals; Antiprotozoal Agents; Coccidiosis; Diarrhea; Eimeria; Feces; Humans; Male; Nitriles; Parasite Egg Count; Severity of Illness Index; Sheep; Sheep Diseases; Treatment Outcome; Triazines

A blinded, randomized, controlled, multi-centric field study was conducted on French dairy farms (n = 9) to evaluate the long term efficacy of metaphylactic, single oral treatments with either 1 mg/kg body weight (BW) of diclazuril (Vecoxan®), or 15 mg/kg BW of toltrazuril (Baycox®) against natural infections with Eimeria zuernii and/or Eimeria bovis, compared to untreated control animals. A total of 199 calves from nine commercial farms aged between 21 and 55 days old at the start of study were included and randomly allocated to one of three groups. Calves on all farms were observed for a period of 78 days post treatment, using both parasitological (oocyst excretion), and clinical parameters (faecal score and body weight). The assessment of efficacy was based on both control of oocyst excretion, and on the average daily weight gains throughout the study. During the whole study period, the mean number of days with diarrhoea (≥ 2) was similar (0.7 days) between treated groups. Excretion in the untreated group peaked at 21 days after treatment. In both the diclazuril and toltrazuril-treated groups, mean oocyst excretion decreased dramatically in the five days following treatment. Thereafter, particularly towards the end of the study period, oocyst counts and percentage levels of E. zuernii were highest in the toltrazuril-treated group. In pooled data from all trial sites, the average daily weight gain was significantly (p = 0.01) higher (+ 0.057 kg/day) in the diclazuril group when compared to the toltrazuril group, and the average body weight gain of the diclazuril treated group was 4.4 kg higher than the toltrazuril group. On eight of the nine trial sites, the average daily gain was greater in the diclazuril group than in the toltrazuril group. This study demonstrates that, over an extended observation period of 78 days, metaphylactic treatment with both diclazuril and toltrazuril reduces the impact of coccidiosis, but greater performance benefits based on average daily weight gains, were achieved following the use of diclazuril.

Topics: Administration, Oral; Animals; Cattle; Cattle Diseases; Coccidiosis; Coccidiostats; Diarrhea; Eimeria; Feces; Female; Male; Nitriles; Oocysts; Triazines; Weight Gain

Topics: Animals; Animals, Newborn; Coccidiosis; Coccidiostats; Diarrhea; Nitriles; Sheep; Sheep Diseases; Triazines

Topics: Animals; Animals, Newborn; Coccidiosis; Coccidiostats; Diarrhea; Nitriles; Sheep; Sheep Diseases; Triazines

Provision of nourishment to terminally ill patients has been a controversial topic in clinical medicine. Determination of the limits of palliative care requires an understanding of the disease process, as well as the boundaries of patient self-determination. With the advent of living wills, the determination of the patient to limit care, including nutrition support, has become socially acceptable. Difficulties arise when there are differences of opinion between the caregiver and the patient. The solutions to these conflicts are often decided in the courtroom, as demonstrated by the Cruzan and Quinlan cases. Living wills are often written to prevent unnecessary financial burdens in hopeless situations. As well, financial considerations influence the decisions made by caregivers in providing care to terminally ill patients. The following case report illustrates the conflict between patient self-determination and limitation of care for financial reasons. The use of substituted judgment within the Canadian health care system and the role of team meetings to resolve ethical decisions are discussed.

Topics: Adult; AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections; Canada; Cryptosporidiosis; Diarrhea; Drugs, Investigational; Ethics, Medical; Health Care Rationing; Humans; Male; Nitriles; Parenteral Nutrition, Total; Refusal to Treat; Spiramycin; Treatment Failure; Triazines

Topics: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; Coccidiostats; Cryptosporidiosis; Diarrhea; Humans; Nitriles; Opportunistic Infections; Triazines