Larvicidal effect of albendazole against Angiostrongylus cantonensis in mice.

Mice were infected with 50 third stage larvae of Angiostrongylus cantonensis and treated orally with albendazole (Zentel) in dosages of 5, 10, and 25 mg/kg/day begun 5, 10, or 15 days post-infection for 7, 14, or 21 consecutive days. The mice in each group were killed 3 days after cessation of treatment and the brains examined for parasites. Worms were recovered from the brains of all mice treated for 7 days, but recoveries from treated mice were significantly lower than from controls. Worm reduction was nearly 100% in mice treated for 14 days when treatment was initiated 5 and 10 days post-infection. Worms were found in the brain of mice treated for 14 days when treatment began at 15 and 20 days, but recovery rates were significantly lower than in controls. Similar results were obtained in animals treated for 21 days. Worm reduction rates were lower in animals given 5 mg/kg/day, but there was no significant difference in animals given higher dosages. Albendazole was effective in the treatment of A. cantonensis in mice when given within 15 days post-infection.