title: The effect of praziquantel against Schistosoma mansoni-infections in Botswana.
abstract: Chemotherapy of all infected individuals, using praziquantel 40 mg/kg in a single dose, was the initial component of the recently introduced control programme against Schistosoma mansoni-infections in Ngamiland, Botswana. To evaluate the effect of praziquantel in Ngamiland, 81 children were selected at random from three strata of intensities of infection. Six weeks after treatment a duplicate of Kato fecal thick smear was made. When eggs of S. mansoni were found, a new stool sample was collected and a hatching test performed. Only in case of a positive hatching test was the child considered to be infected: Cure rates between 78.6 and 90.0%, and reductions in egg output among noncured between 84.6 and 98.0% were found.
authors.affiliation: Regional Health Team, Maun, Botswana.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Friis
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Byskov
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001902:Botswana; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006801:Humans; D010270:Parasite Egg Count; D011223:Praziquantel / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011897:Random Allocation; D012555:Schistosomiasis mansoni / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D011223:Praziquantel