title: Efficacy of a single dose of mebendazole on prevalence and intensity of soil-transmitted nematodes in Zanzibar.
abstract: The efficacy of a single-dose of mebendazole to treat intestinal helminths was studied in Pemba Island, Zanzibar, with the view of incorporating it in future control programmes. A single Kato-Katz stool examination was performed on 2,269 individuals from all age groups. 1,883 individuals were treated with 500 mg of mebendazole (250 mg for children below two years) and re-examined one month and four months after therapy. A total of 466 presented themselves for all three surveys and the data has been reported in this study. The overall cure rate for ascariasis was 93.2% and reduction of egg load after treatment was 89.8% in persistent positive cases. Although the cure rates were lower in trichuriasis (25.6%) and hookworm (17.8%) infections, egg reduction was more evident with 47% for Trichuris trichiura and 51.9% for hookworms. A single dose of mebendazole results not only in a high cure rate for ascariasis but also in a decrease in intensity of ascariasis, trichuriasis and hookworm infections, thereby contributing to its incorporation into low-budget control programmes in developing countries.
authors.affiliation: Programme of Intestinal Parasitic Infections, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Albonico
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Renganathan
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bosman
authors.forename: U M
authors.initials: UM
authors.lastname: Kisumku
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Alawi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Savioli
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001196:Ascariasis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006725:Hookworm Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008463:Mebendazole / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015995:Prevalence; D013636:Tanzania / Q000453:epidemiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014257:Trichuriasis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D008463:Mebendazole