Recovery from arrhythmias in lambs infected with Strongyloides papillosus following worm elimination.

Abstract

Calves and lambs heavily infected with Strongyloides papillosus develop cardiac arrest by ventricular fibrillation which is preceded by continuous sinus tachycardia and prolongation of the PQ interval during the patent infection. In the present study, cardiac rhythms following anthelmintic treatment were investigated in lambs infected with S. papillosus to ascertain whether cardiac disorders due to the infection are based on a reversible and curable change. Eight lambs were given a lethal dose of S. papillosus. Five of the animals were injected with ivermectin when they developed continuous sinus tachycardia and prolongation of the PQ interval. The other three animals served as untreated controls. In the treated animals, elevated heart rates and PQ intervals began to decrease between 10 and 21 h, then continuous sinus tachycardia and prolongation of PQ interval disappeared within 39 h of treatment. No arrhythmias were detected after the disappearance of sinus tachycardia. Faecal egg counts became negative within 61 h of treatment. Only a few worms were collected from the small intestine at necropsy. The control animals developed ventricular fibrillation by 349 h after infection, having high faecal egg counts and intestinal worm burdens. These results indicate that cardiac disorders generated by S. papillosus infection are reversible and curable following worm elimination.