Antischistosomal efficacy of artesunate combination therapies administered as curative treatments for malaria attacks.
Artesunate is a highly effective antimalarial and there is some evidence that it is also active against schistosome infections. We therefore investigated whether treatment with artesunate of acute malaria in Senegalese children had an impact on their level of infection with Schistosoma haematobium. Twenty-seven children who were entered into a clinical trial of antimalaria treatment were excreting S. haematobium eggs in their urine on the day of treatment. Fifteen children received a combination of a single dose of sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine together with three daily doses of artesunate (4 mg/kg); the remaining 12 children received three daily doses of amodiaquine and artesunate. The overall cure rate and reduction in the mean number of excreted eggs at 28 days post treatment were 92.6% and 94.5%, respectively. Our findings indicate that artesunate, in addition to being a very effective treatment for uncomplicated malaria, can also sharply reduce the S. haematobium loads harboured by pre-school African children.
Boulanger
Denis
D
Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, UR024, Dakar, Senegal and Montpellier, France. denis.boulanger@ird.sn
Dieng
Yemou
Y
Cisse
Badara
B
Remoue
Franck
F
Capuano
Frederic
F
Dieme
Jean-Louis
JL
Ndiaye
Tofene
T
Sokhna
Cheikh
C
Trape
Jean-François
JF
Greenwood
Brian
B
Simondon
Francois
F
D000655:Amodiaquine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D000871:Anthelmintics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D037621:Artemisinins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077332:Artesunate; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008288:Malaria / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011739:Pyrimethamine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012548:Schistosoma haematobium; D012553:Schistosomiasis haematobia / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013413:Sulfadoxine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000871:Anthelmintics; D000962:Antimalarials; D037621:Artemisinins; D004338:Drug Combinations; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; D000655:Amodiaquine; C001205:fanasil, pyrimethamine drug combination; D000077332:Artesunate; D013413:Sulfadoxine; D011739:Pyrimethamine