Which parasites are specifically targeted by fenbendazole due to intermittent shedding?

Which parasites are specifically targeted by fenbendazole due to intermittent shedding?

• A. Giardia and whipworms
• B. Roundworms and hookworms
• C. Tapeworms and coccidia
• D. Strongyles and pinworms

Answer: (A)

Intermittent shedding describes how some parasites release their diagnostic stages only in bursts, making detection and elimination trickier with a single dose. Fenbendazole, a benzimidazole, is known to be effective against Giardia and whipworms, both of which have irregular shedding patterns. Giardia cysts are shed episodically in feces, so treatment over several days helps catch the parasite across multiple shedding cycles. Whipworms also lay eggs intermittently, so a dosing plan that maintains drug exposure increases the chance of clearing adult worms and stopping transmission. The other parasite pairs don’t align as closely with the idea of intermittent shedding as a rationale for using fenbendazole, since roundworms and hookworms tend to shed more continuously, tapeworms and coccidia are not the primary targets of this drug, and strongyles and pinworms aren’t paired with the intermittent shedding concept in this context.

Intermittent shedding describes how some parasites release their diagnostic stages only in bursts, making detection and elimination trickier with a single dose. Fenbendazole, a benzimidazole, is known to be effective against Giardia and whipworms, both of which have irregular shedding patterns. Giardia cysts are shed episodically in feces, so treatment over several days helps catch the parasite across multiple shedding cycles. Whipworms also lay eggs intermittently, so a dosing plan that maintains drug exposure increases the chance of clearing adult worms and stopping transmission. The other parasite pairs don’t align as closely with the idea of intermittent shedding as a rationale for using fenbendazole, since roundworms and hookworms tend to shed more continuously, tapeworms and coccidia are not the primary targets of this drug, and strongyles and pinworms aren’t paired with the intermittent shedding concept in this context.