Comments and queries
Praziquantel in turtles
J SCHRÖDER
Bayer AG,
Animal Health Business Group,
Livestock Business Unit, D-51386,
Leverkusen, Germany
T his letter is intended to praise and
encourage researchers who
contribute to our knowledge about veteri-
nary drugs. But it is also a plea for
researchers to consult on trial design
before embarking on their research.
After the initial development work,
which consists of proving safety, quality
and efficacy, much of the subsequent
body of knowledge about a drug is gener-
ated by people in the field who have
nothing to do with the company that
manufactures and markets the product.
In the recent article on the efficacy of
praziquantel against fluke in green
turtles,1 two matters regarding dosage and
tissue residues should in our opinion have
received more attention.
It is probable that the dosage of 150
mg/kg used by the authors is excessive.
Earlier efficacy work was done at such
dosages, but praziquantel has been found
effective at as little as 3.75 mg/kg against
some parasites in certain host species (for
instance Moniezia expansa in sheep2).
A more appropriate dosage for this
work would have been 30 mg/kg.3
Although the high dosage used here
demonstrates good toleration to prazi-
quantel, overdosing is a waste of money
(these chemicals are expensive to synthe-
sise and the drugs are expensive to formu-
late) and it could cause long-lasting tissue
residues. The latter fact has obvious
public health implications and brings us
to the next point.
Determining active ingredient residues
in food-producing animals is one of the
important steps in the development
process of a veterinary drug. Because of
Aust Vet J Vol 76, No 2, February 1998
the cost, this information is seldom
generated for species considered to be of
minor economical importance on a global
Reply
D BLAIR
scale.
In the trial in question, it would have Department of Zoology and Tropical
been relatively simple to collect samples Ecology, James Cook University,
of the major edible tissues (usually Townsville, Queensland 4810
muscle, liver, kidney and fat) for tissue
residue assay. These data might not have
sufficed for determining a withdrawal
period, but could have been another valu-
W e welcome the encouragement
offered in Dr Schröder’s letter and
thank him for the interest he has taken in
able contribution to our knowledge of the our work. We also agree with his
drug. comments on the need to determine an
Even after patent expiry (as in the case appropriate therapeutic dose and with-
of praziquantel), the parent company holding period in animals intended for
would almost always be prepared to assist human consumption.
researchers. This could take the form of Our study was not intended to devise a
analysis of samples of an appropriate routine protocol for treating blood flukes
formulation of the drug in question, in turtles. Its aim was simply to deter-
advice on experimental design, and assis- mine if praziquantel has activity against
tance with supplementary investigations such flukes, as this was not known.
or financial support. Accordingly, with the assistance of staff at
Requests for tangible research assistance Bayer Australia, the highest dose thought
could, of course, meet with refusal if the likely to be tolerated by the turtles was
intended trial falls outside the scope of chosen. Our demonstration of high effi-
the firm’s commercial interests. Advice on cacy now justifies further studies to
experimental design will, however, determine an appropriate therapeutic
seldom be a problem. regimen.
References
1. Adnyana W, Ladds PW, Blair D. Efficacy of prazi-
quantel in the treatment of green sea turtles with
spontaneous infection of cardiovascular flukes. Aust
Vet J 1997;75:405-497.
2. Southworth J, Harvey C, Larson S. Use of prazi-
quantel for the control of Moniezia expansa in
lambs. NZ Vet J 1996;44:112-115.
3. Frank W, Reichel K. Erfahrungen bei der
Bekaempfung von Nematoden und Cestoden bei
Reptilien und Amphibien. XIX International
Symposium on Diseases of Zoo Animals, Poznan
1997:107-111.
107