title: Reduction in hookworm infection after praziquantel treatment among children and young adults in Leyte, the Philippines.
abstract: One small previous study found that praziquantel reduced hookworm infection. In this study, 607 subjects were enrolled in a longitudinal study. At enrollment and every 3 months for 18 months, three stool samples were collected, and the intensity of infection with Schistosoma japonicum and soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) was quantified. All subjects were treated with 60 mg/kg praziquantel at baseline. Three months post-treatment, the percent of subjects who were hookworm-infected decreased to 46.5% from 61% at baseline. The putative cure rate was 23.7%. The 95% confidence interval around the change in hookworm egg counts from baseline to 6 and 12 months post-treatment was negative and did not include zero. The percent reduction in hookworm egg counts from baseline to 3 months post-treatment was 40.8%. Praziquantel treatment did not decrease the infection intensity of STHs. Control programs using praziquantel may have the added benefit of reducing hookworm infection and anemia in areas of coendemnicity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA. Julia_G_Shaw@brown.edu
authors.forename: Julia G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: Nitin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Aggarwal
authors.forename: Luz P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Acosta
authors.forename: Mario A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Jiz
authors.forename: Hai-Wei
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Tjalling
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Leenstra
authors.forename: Hannah M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Coutinho
authors.forename: Remigio M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Olveda
authors.forename: Jonathan D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Kurtis
authors.forename: Stephen T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: McGarvey
authors.forename: Jennifer F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Friedman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000871:Anthelmintics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D006725:Hookworm Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010270:Parasite Egg Count; D010311:Parrots; D010679:Philippines / Q000453:epidemiology; D011223:Praziquantel / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012549:Schistosoma japonicum; D012554:Schistosomiasis japonica / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000871:Anthelmintics; D011223:Praziquantel