An Alternative Treatment Against Acanthocephala (Prosthenorchis elegans) in Captive Squirrel Monkeys (Saimiri sciureus) in Mexico

• Published in: The Journal of parasitology Vol. 104; no. 5; pp. 574 - 575
• Main Authors: José Zárate-Ramos, J. J, Gómez-Garza, M. A, Rodríguez-Tovar, L. E, Escareño, J. Hernández, Contreras-Lozano, J. A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Society of Parasitologists 01.10.2018; Allen Press Publishing; Allen Press Inc
• Subjects: Acanthocephala; Adults; Animals; Anthelmintics - therapeutic use; breeding; Captive breeding; Cockroaches; Cockroaches - parasitology; Disease Outbreaks - veterinary; Drug Therapy, Combination - veterinary; Drugs; Eggs; fecal examination; Feces; Feces - parasitology; Feeding Behavior; Female; Helminthiasis, Animal - epidemiology; Helminthiasis, Animal - parasitology; Helminthiasis, Animal - therapy; Infections; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic - epidemiology; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic - parasitology; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic - therapy; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic - veterinary; Intestinal Mucosa - parasitology; Intestinal Mucosa - surgery; Intestine; intestines; Juveniles; Laboratory animals; Loperamide - therapeutic use; Male; Mexico; Mexico - epidemiology; Monkey Diseases - epidemiology; Monkey Diseases - parasitology; Monkey Diseases - therapy; Monkeys; Neoptera - parasitology; Niclosamide; Niclosamide - therapeutic use; Oral administration; Parasites; Parasitology; Primates; Prosthenorchis elegans; Saimiri - parasitology; Saimiri sciureus; Sedimentation & deposition; SHORT COMMUNICATIONS; Squirrels; Surgery; Worms; Mexico
• ISSN: 0022-3395; 1937-2345; 1937-2345
• DOI: 10.1645/17-93

We provide the first report of Acanthocephala (Prosthenorchis elegans) in Mexican non-human primates. There has been no known treatment against this parasite except for surgical removal, and this has been relatively ineffective because of the small juveniles. We report the presence of P. elegans in a captive breeding colony of squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus) in Mexico, and we describe a successful treatment protocol. Treatment involved 2 steps: oral administration of the drugs loperamide chlorhydrate (0.5 mg/0.9 kg/3 days) and niclosamide (0.2 mg/0.9 kg/3 days) followed by surgical removal of adult worms from the intestine. Fecal examination during treatment revealed live adults but no living juveniles and no eggs. Surgery after 1 wk of treatment revealed the presence of adults and an absence of juvenile parasites. All adults were physically extracted during the surgery. All subjects recovered from surgery within 1 wk.