Different Treatment Regimen for Eradication of Pinworm (Syphacia obvelata) Infection in Mice Colony

Syphacia obvelata infection was diagnosed in mice during routine health monitoring of rodent colony at Animal Facility, ILS-NISER, Bhubaneswar. Entire mice colony was treated with fenbendazole mixed in drinking water @70 mg/liter in combination with topical spray of injectable 0.1% ivermectin solution to arrest the disease. At the same time mice were isolated and grouped (n=18) to compare other treatment regimens using ivermectin (oral & spray) and fenbendazole (oral) and chalk out an effective therapeutic strategy for large rodent colonies. Use of cocktail of oral fenbendazole and 0.1% ivermectin spray was able to eradicate pinworm infection in mice colony but study with individual use of fenbendazole in drinking water was not able to treat the infection in group. Oral use of ivermectin was able to treat pin worm infection in mice but is not recommended for treatment due to its deleterious effects. Use of 0.1% ivermectin as spray alone resulted in complete eradication of Syphacia obvelata hence suggested to be safe and effective method for pin worm eradication in large rodent colonies.