anthelmintic

anthelmintic /ant·hel·min·tic/ (ant″hel-min´tik)

1. vermifugal; destructive to worms.

2. vermicide or vermifuge; an agent destructive to worms.

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ant·hel·min·tic (nthl-mntk, nthl-) or ant·hel·min·thic (-thk)

n.

An agent that destroys or causes the expulsion of parasitic intestinal worms. Also called helminthagogue, helminthic, vermifuge.

adj.

Acting to expel or destroy parasitic intestinal worms.

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Anthelminthic (also spelled anthelmintic)

A type of drug or herbal preparation given to destroy parasitic worms or expel them from the body.

Mentioned in: Dysentery

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anthelmintic

[ant′helmin′tik]

Etymology: Gk, anti + helmins, against worms

1 pertaining to a substance that destroys or prevents the development of parasitic worms, such as filariae, flukes, hookworms, pinworms, roundworms, schistosomes, tapeworms, trichinae, and whipworms.

2 an anthelmintic drug. An anthelmintic may interfere with the parasites' carbohydrate metabolism, inhibit their respiratory enzymes, block their neuromuscular action, or render them susceptible to destruction by the host's macrophages. Drugs used in treating specific helmintic infections include piperazine, pyrantel pamoate, pyrvinium pamoate, mebendazole, niclosamide, hexylresorcinol, diethylcarbamazine, and thiabendazole.

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anthelmintic,

adj/n eradicating intestinal worms.

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anthelmintic (an´thelmin´tik),

n a drug that acts against parasitic worms, especially intestinal worms.

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anthelmintic

1. destructive to worms.

2. an agent destructive to worms. They are classified as antinematicidal, antitrematicidal, anticesticidal.

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anthelmintic poisoning

see under individual anthelmintics.

anthelmintic resistance

frequent dosing of animals, especially ruminants running at pasture, selectively retains worms with innate resistance to a particular anthelmintic. A population of resistant worms may result. The resistant worm population may be transmitted to other farms. Side resistance to other compounds in the same chemical group may occur. This is observed in the benzimidazole group of compounds and in the levamisole-morantel group.