Experimental chemotherapy of Taenia saginata cysticercosis - a field trial

The resistance to reinfection of calves following chemotherapy of T. saginata cysticercosis with praziquantel was investigated in a field situation in East Africa. Thirty animals from the treated group were compared with thirty animals from the untreated group after 15 months following chemotherapy. Slicing revealed that 100% in the untreated group were infected, compared with 43.5% of the animals in the treated group. 52% of the untreated group had viable cysts in contrast to only one animal (4.3%) in the treated group. Serological investigations were also conducted on sera obtained before and after chemotherapy. Successful chemotherapy resulted in temporarily increased titres in the treated group as compared to the untreated group.