Successful treatment of niclosamide- and praziquantel-resistant beef tapeworm infection with nitazoxanide.
BACKGROUND
Beef tapeworm (Taenia saginata) infection is acquired by eating inadequately cooked beef that contains the larvae or cysticerci of T. saginata. Niclosamide and praziquantel have proved effective for its treatment but treatment failures are well known. We report herein the results of nitazoxanide therapy.


METHODS
A prospective study was conducted in 18 children and 34 adults to assess the efficacy and safety of nitazoxanide in the treatment of niclosamide- and praziquantel-resistant T. saginata infection. Nitazoxanide was administered twice daily for 3 days in 500-mg doses for those aged over 14 years and at 20mg/kg body weight/day in children aged 5-14 years. Post-treatment follow-up was undertaken at 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks for fecal samples for proglottides, and to check the presence, number, and viability of Taenia eggs.


RESULTS
Nitazoxanide cured 51 of 52 (98.1%) patients. Mild side effects occurred in seven patients, which resolved spontaneously. There were no abnormalities in laboratory parameters.


CONCLUSIONS
Nitazoxanide is a safe, effective, inexpensive, and well-tolerated drug for the treatment of niclosamide- and praziquantel-resistant beef tapeworm infection.
Lateef
Mohammad
M
Department of Zoology, University of Kashmir, Srinigar, India.
Zargar
Showkat Ali
SA
Khan
Abdul Rashid
AR
Nazir
Muzzaffar
M
Shoukat
Abid
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D000977:Antiparasitic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004351:Drug Resistance; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009574:Nitro Compounds; D011446:Prospective Studies; D041202:Taenia saginata / Q000187:drug effects*; D013622:Taeniasis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013844:Thiazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000977:Antiparasitic Agents; D009574:Nitro Compounds; D013844:Thiazoles; C041747:nitazoxanide