title: Evaluation of two years of mass chemotherapy against ascariasis in Hamadan, Islamic Republic of Iran.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the mass treatment of ascariasis in rural areas of Hamadan Province, Islamic Republic of Iran.
  
  
  METHODS
  A control programme in rural areas of Hamadan Province, which began in November 1997, involved giving all persons a single dose of 400 mg albendazole at intervals of three months. The efficacy of the treatment was evaluated by the formalin-ether concentration technique for stool examination and by the Stoll quantitative method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average rate of infection with Ascaris before treatment was 53.3%, ranging from 40% in Hamadan district to 75% in Toysercan. Two areas, Malayer and Nahavand, were excluded from the programme because the infection rates were only 13% and 4%, respectively. After two years of mass treatment the infection rate had decreased to 6%. The proportion of positive cases excreting only unfertilized eggs increased to 32%. No side-effects of mass treatment were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Systematic mass treatment giving high coverage proved to be very effective in the control of ascariasis, notwithstanding a lack of other preventive measures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Islamic Republic of Iran. keshawarz@yhoo.com
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fallah
authors.forename: Akbar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mirarab
authors.forename: Farzad
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jamalian
authors.forename: Ahmad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ghaderi
mesh_terms: D015766:Albendazole / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D000871:Anthelmintics / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001196:Ascariasis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D017164:Ascaris lumbricoides / Q000187:drug effects / Q000472:pathogenicity; D003140:Communicable Disease Control; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012424:Rural Population
chemical_list: D000871:Anthelmintics; D015766:Albendazole