Data on Vaccines and Treatment for Giardia
Here are some articles on the Giardia vaccine:
Can Vet J 45[11]:924-30 2004 Nov
Anderson KA, Brooks AS, Morrison AL, Reid-Smith RJ, Martin SW, Benn DM, Peregrine AS
Animal Care Services, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1.
Feces were collected from 107 asymptomatic dogs at a research facility in Guelph, Ontario. The prevalence of Giardia infection was 11% (12/107). To assess the effectiveness of Giardia vaccination for treatment of Giardia carriage, 9 additional asymptomatic Giardia antigen-positive dogs were brought into the facility. The Giardia antigen-positive dogs were then randomly allocated to receive either vaccine (n = 10) or a saline placebo (n = 10). Feces were then monitored monthly for 6 mo for Giardia antigen and Giardia cysts. At weeks 4, 8, 12, and 16 following vaccination, there were more Giardia-positive dogs in the vaccinated group (10/10, 9/10, 9/10, 8/10, respectively) compared with the controls (7/10, 7/10, 8/10, 4/10, respectively). At week 20, an equal number of dogs (5/10) were Giardia positive, and at week 24, fewer dogs were positive in the vaccinated group than in the control group (2/10 versus 5/10, respectively). However, there was no significant difference between the 2 groups. Vaccination was, therefore, not an effective treatment for asymptomatic canine Giardia infections in this setting.
The use of a Giardia vaccine as an immunotherapeutic agent in dogs.
Can Vet J 42[11]:865-8 2001 Nov
Olson ME, Hannigan CJ, Gaviller PF, Fulton LA
Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1.
Dogs (n = 13), which had failed to be cured of giardiosis following chemotherapeutic measures, were treated with a Giardia vaccine (2-3 injections). Clinical signs resolved between 16 and 42 days postvaccination and cessation of fecal cyst shedding was between 21 and 70 days. Vaccination is a potential method of treating giardiosis in dogs.
Efficacy of a Combination Febantel-Praziquantel Pyrantel Product, With or Without Vaccination With a Commercial Giardia Vaccine, for Treatment of Dogs with Naturally Occurring Giardiasis
J Am Vet Med Assoc 220[3]:330-333 Feb 1’02 Prospective Trial 14 Refs
Patricia A. Payne, DVM, PhD; Robert K. Ridley DVM, PhD; Michael W Dryden, DVM, PhD; Christine Bathgate, BS; George A. Milliken, PhD; Patricia W Stewart, DVM Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology College of Veterinary Medicine, and the Department of Statistics, Kansas State University Manhattan, KS 66506
Objective: To determine efficacy of treatment with a combination febantel-praziquantel-pyrantel product, with or without vaccination with a commercial Giardia vaccine, in dogs with naturally occurring giardiasis.
Design: Prospective trial.
Animals: 16 Beagles naturally infected with Giardia duodenalis.
Procedures: During phase 1, 6 dogs were treated with the parasiticide for 3 days (4 were also vaccinated). Four weeks later, all 6 dogs were treated with the parasiticide again for 5 days and were bathed and moved to clean cages after the last treatment (phase 2). Nine dogs were treated with the parasiticide for 3 (n = 4) or 5 (5) days and bathed and moved to clean cages after the last treatment (phase 3). Fecal samples were collected twice weekly for 24 days after treatment and tested for cysts with a quantitative zinc sulfate flotation technique and for Giardia antigen with an immunoassay.
Results: Dogs in phase 1 were all shedding cysts again by day 24. In phase 2, only 1 dog shed cysts after treatment, and shedding was transient (day 17). In phase 3, neither cysts nor antigen was detected in fecal samples from 2 of 4 dogs treated for 3 days and 4 of 5 dogs treated for 5 days. In 18 of 57 (31.6%) fecal samples, cysts were seen, but results of the immunoassay were negative.
Conclusions & Clinical Relevance: Results suggest that when a combination febantel-praziquantel-pyrantel product is used to treat dogs with giardiasis, bathing and changing the environment after treatment may be more important in preventing recurrence than duration of treatment.