Treatment of acute Toxoplasma gondii infections in mice with diclazuril or a combination of diclazuril and pyrimethamine.

Diclazuril is a benzeneacetonitrile anticoccidial that is also effective in the prevention of toxoplasmosis. The present study was conducted to examine the efficacy of diclazuril alone or in combination with pyrimethamine for the treatment of acute toxoplasmosis in mice. Diclazuril administered at 10 mg/kg beginning 6 days after inoculation and given for 10 days protected 90% of mice over a 56-day observation period. Treatment with diclazuril at 1.0 or 0.5 mg/kg protected 20 and 0% of mice, respectively. Treatment with pyrimethamine at 12.5 or 6.0 mg/kg protected 60 and 0% of mice, respectively. When diclazuril (1.0 or 0.5 mg/kg) was combined with pyrimethamine (12.5 mg/kg) all mice survived the 56-day observation period. When diclazuril (1.0 or 0.5 mg/kg) was combined with pyrimethamine (6.0 mg/kg) 30 and 10% of mice, respectively, survived the 56-day observation period.