title: Human gastrointestinal nematode infections: are new control methods required?
abstract: Gastrointestinal (GI) nematode infections affect 50% of the human population worldwide, and cause great morbidity as well as hundreds of thousands of deaths. Despite modern medical practices, the proportion of the population infected with GI nematodes is not falling. This is due to a number of factors, the most important being the lack of good healthcare, sanitation and health education in many developing countries. A relatively new problem is the development of resistance to the small number of drugs available to treat GI nematode infections. Here we review the most important parasitic GI nematodes and the methods available to control them. In addition, we discuss the current status of new anthelmintic treatments, particularly the plant cysteine proteinases from various sources of latex-bearing plants and fruits.
authors.affiliation: School of Biology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
authors.forename: Gillian
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Stepek
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Buttle
authors.forename: Ian R
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: Duce
authors.forename: Jerzy M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Behnke
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000871:Anthelmintics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000635:transmission; D008018:Life Cycle Stages; D009348:Nematoda / Q000254:growth & development; D009349:Nematode Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000635:transmission
chemical_list: D000871:Anthelmintics; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases