Albendazole in the treatment of goehelminth infections in children

Abstract

Children with mixed helminthic infections between the ages of 2 and 14 years, from a slum area, were treated with two regimes of albendazole. A majority of children had moderate to heavy infections with Trichuris trichiura (greater than 70%) and Ascaris lumbricoides (greater than 84%). Children treated with a single 400 mg dose of albendazole showed a very good response in ascariasis with 100% cure rate irrespective of the severity of infection. In Trichuriasis (n = 40), a cure rate of 50% was observed in mild infections, but only a reduction in the egg counts of 60% and 57% respectively were observed in moderate and heavy infections. Only 10 patients with Necator americanus infections were treated with the single dose, and the cure rate in mild infections was satisfactory (86%), with an overall egg reduction rate of 95%. In 47 children included in the multiple dose regime (200 mg daily x 3 days), the cure rates in trichuriasis were, 82%, 66%, and 37% respectively in mild, moderate, and heavy infections. The egg reduction rate was 98% in all degrees of infection in trichuriasis. The cure rate in ascariasis, with the multiple dose regime was similar to that of the single dose, with 100% egg reduction, irrespective of the severity of infection.