TY - JOUR

T1 - A comparative study of different albendazole and mebendazole regimens for the treatment of intestinal infections in school children of usigu division, Western Kenya

AU - Muchiri, E. M.

AU - Thiong'o, F. W.

AU - Magnussen, P.

AU - Ouma, J. H.

PY - 2001/1/1

Y1 - 2001/1/1

N2 - A clinical trial to compare the effectiveness of 4- and 6-mo repeated treatment with albendazole 600 mg (Zentel®, SmithKline Beecham) or mebendazole 600 mg (Vermox®, Janssen) on geohelminth infections was carried out on children in 6 primary schools; the study included 1,186 children, ages 4 to 19 yr. Kato-Katz examination was performed on stool samples before and after treatment. Overall, albendazole produced better cure rates and egg reduction rates for geohelminths. The cure rates for albendazole were 92.4% for hookworm infection, 83.5% for Ascaris lumbricoides, and 67.8% for Trichuris trichiura. Mebendazole given either 2 or 3 times in a year had cure rates of 50 and 55.0% (respectively) for hookworm, 79.6 and 97.5% for A. lumbricoides, and 60.6 and 68.3% for T. trichiura infection. The geometric mean intensity of hookworm eggs per gram (epg) of stool decreased by 96.7% after albendazole treatment compared with 66.3 and 85.1%, respectively, for 2 or 3 doses of mebendazole (P < 0.05) over the same period. Reductions in epg for A. lumbricoides and T. trichiura were comparable for both drugs. Our results indicate that treatment with albendazole at a 6-mo interval was more effective than mebendazole regimens and may be the best choice for use in the control of the 3 geohelminths.

AB - A clinical trial to compare the effectiveness of 4- and 6-mo repeated treatment with albendazole 600 mg (Zentel®, SmithKline Beecham) or mebendazole 600 mg (Vermox®, Janssen) on geohelminth infections was carried out on children in 6 primary schools; the study included 1,186 children, ages 4 to 19 yr. Kato-Katz examination was performed on stool samples before and after treatment. Overall, albendazole produced better cure rates and egg reduction rates for geohelminths. The cure rates for albendazole were 92.4% for hookworm infection, 83.5% for Ascaris lumbricoides, and 67.8% for Trichuris trichiura. Mebendazole given either 2 or 3 times in a year had cure rates of 50 and 55.0% (respectively) for hookworm, 79.6 and 97.5% for A. lumbricoides, and 60.6 and 68.3% for T. trichiura infection. The geometric mean intensity of hookworm eggs per gram (epg) of stool decreased by 96.7% after albendazole treatment compared with 66.3 and 85.1%, respectively, for 2 or 3 doses of mebendazole (P < 0.05) over the same period. Reductions in epg for A. lumbricoides and T. trichiura were comparable for both drugs. Our results indicate that treatment with albendazole at a 6-mo interval was more effective than mebendazole regimens and may be the best choice for use in the control of the 3 geohelminths.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0035045413&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1645/0022-3395(2001)087[0413:ACSODA]2.0.CO;2

DO - 10.1645/0022-3395(2001)087[0413:ACSODA]2.0.CO;2

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 11318574

AN - SCOPUS:0035045413

VL - 87

SP - 413

EP - 418

JO - Journal of Parasitology

JF - Journal of Parasitology

SN - 0022-3395

IS - 2

ER -