Diclazuril
**Diclazuril** is a potent, broad-spectrum antiprotozoal agent belonging to the triazine (benzeneacetonitrile) class. Key clinical applications include: - **Horses**: FDA-approved for the treatment of Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM) caused by *Sarcocystis neurona*. - **Livestock & Poultry**: Used extensively as a coccidiostat in broiler chickens, calves, and lambs. - **Small Animals**: Off-label use for treating resistant coccidiosis, *Neospora caninum*, and *Toxoplasma* infections in dogs and cats. > **Clinical Pearl**: While highly effective at clearing the protozoal infection in EPM, diclazuril cannot reverse pre-existing neurological damage caused by the parasite's migration through the central nervous system.
Mecanismo: Diclazuril specifically targets the **apicoplast** (a plastid-like organelle) found uniquely in the *Apicomplexa* phylum (which includes *Sarcocystis*, *Toxoplasma*, and *Eimeria*). - **Mechanism**: It disrupts essential metabolic pathways within the apicoplast (likely involving lipid and heme biosynthesis) → halts intracellular schizogony and gametogony → **parasiticidal** effect. - **Potency**: It is highly potent, with *in vitro* concentrations required to inhibit 95% of *S. neurona* being exceptionally low (~1 ng/mL).
Dosificación por especie
- Therapeutic use (lambs) · 1 mg/kg (1 mL of the 2.5mg/mL suspension per 2.5 kg bodyweight) PO once · PO · once · Recommended to treat all lambs in flock.
- Preventative use (lambs) · 1 mg/kg PO · PO · once · Administer at about 4-6 weeks of age at the time that coccidiosis can normally be expected. Under high infection pressure, a second treatment may be indicated about 3 weeks after the first dosing.
- Coccidiosis · 25 mg/kg PO once · PO · once
- Coccidiosis in kittens · 1 mL (2.5 mg) PO of the sheep solution per 4 kg body mass · PO · once
- Isospora spp. infections · 25 mg/kg PO once · PO · once
- As an aid to control coccidiosis (calves) · 1 mg/kg (1 mL of the 2.5 mg/mL suspension per 2.5 kg bodyweight) PO as a single dose · PO · once · Administer 14 days after moving into a potentially high risk environment. Recommended to treat all calves in pen.
- Treatment of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (S. neurona) · Top dress at the rate of 1 mg/kg bodyweight · PO · q24h · 28 days · Using the oral pellets and the provided cup. If horse's bodyweight is in between two graduations on the dosing cup, fill the cup to the higher of the two marks.
Vías de administración
Contraindicaciones
- Hypersensitivity to diclazuril
- Safe use in horses used for breeding, during pregnancy, or in lactation has not been evaluated
Efectos adversos
- Severe diarrhea (rarely, in highly susceptible lambs)
Monitoreo
- Clinical efficacy (neurologic exams)
Sobredosis
Limited information is available, but the drug appears to have a large safety margin in animals. Normal horses dosed up to 50 mg/kg/day (50X) for 42 days developed only marginal effects (decreased weight gain, increased creatinine, BUN). Doses of up to 60X in lambs and calves did not cause any demonstrable side effects.
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