THE ANTI-PROTOZOAL EFFECTS OF PRAZIQUANTEL ON GIARDIASIS IN MICE

Abstract

The chemotherapeutic effects of anti-eestodes drug praziquantel on giardiasis inlaboratory mice. Fourty mice were divided into 4 groups of 10 mice each. Group 1 wasinfected; group2 was infected and treated orally by giving praziquantel at a dose of 10mg/kg body weight as a single dose; group 3 was infected and treated orally by givingmetronidazole at a rate of 15-20 mg/kg body weight daily for 7' days; group 4 wasuninfected. Cyst excretion rate was recorded for the infected groups of mice.The infected and praziquantel treated mice have recovered much more faster thaninfected mice and treated by metronidazole. There were no side effects reported.Praziquantel proved for the first time to be an ideal drug for the treatment of giardiasis