Therapeutic Review Ponazuril

nisProtozoa from the phylum apicomplexa a associated with significant animal losses both pet and production systems. These ganisms can infect a wide range of verteb hosts, although many are host specific. The complexans of greatest interest to exotic pet p titioners are Isospora spp, Eimeria spp., Toxoplasma gondii, and Cryptosporidium spp. Historically, thes organisms have been very difficult to elimina One of the primary reasons for our lack of ment success is related to the compounds use treat the infections. The traditional treatme choices for apicomplexans are the sulfonamid These drugs affect folic acid synthesis, and can -cidal or -static depending on dose and spec For many of the coccidians, these compounds considered coccidiostatic. To increase our succ against these organisms, it is likely that differ possibly coccidiocidal, compounds will need to explored. Ponazuril is a triazine coccidiocidal drug tha related to toltrazuril. 1 Triazine antiprotozoals ar considered to be active against the plastid bod the parasite. Plastids originated as a site for ph synthesis in plants. Although they have lost this f tion in apicomplexans, the plastid remains an es tial organelle to those parasites that have them. important to note that the plastid has been lo some apicomplexans, such as Cryptosporidium spp. With this is mind, recent research does suggest the enzyme/enzyme pathways that serve as the hibitory target of ponazuril may vary between cies.2 For example, even though Neospora caninum develops via endodyogeny and Sarcocystis neurona develops by endopolygeny, ponazuril effectively ha development in both cases. 2