Treatment for S. mansonoides infections is the same as that for D. latum, praziquantel. Although not FDA approved for use in dogs and cats for the treatment of S. mansonoides infections, it is a common and accepted practice to use the medication for this purpose. Rarely, humans have become infected with the second stage larvae by inadvertently eating the copepods. When this occurs, the second stage larvae migrate to muscles and other tissues and develop into third stage larvae just as they would in a snake or rodent. In addition, rarely in humans who have ingested infected reptiles or birds, the third stage larvae do not develop into adults in the intestine, but travel through the intestine and into the tissues.
Treatment is usually by surgical removal of the nodules containing the third stage larvae.
A similar condition may also occur in dogs. Control of Communicable Diseases in Man. Diminishing the risk of zoonotic disease. Canine Clinical Parasitology. A Handbook of Veterinary Parasitology.