Failure of repeated treatment with praziquantel and arthemeter in four patients with acute schistosomiasis.
Schistosomiasis is on the rise but still difficult to treat in international travelers; it should be suspected in patients returning from endemic areas. Praziquantel (PZQ) is not effective and may aggravate symptoms. More recently, combination treatment with artemisinin derivatives have shown promising results. We report four cases of acute schistosomiasis (AS) in which several courses of combined therapy had been necessary to obtain negative serology.
Infectious Disease Department, San Matteo Hospital, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
Liliana
L
Praticò
Bianca
B
Mariani
Enrico
E
Brunetti
Roberta
R
Maserati
Antonella
A
Bruno
Stefano
S
Novati
Guido
G
Chichino
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000871:Anthelmintics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000032:analysis; D019306:Artemisia; D037621:Artemisinins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D007783:Lactones / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D011223:Praziquantel / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012550:Schistosoma mansoni / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012552:Schistosomiasis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000208:ethnology; D014195:Travel; D017211:Treatment Failure; D014454:Uganda / Q000208:ethnology
D000871:Anthelmintics; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth; D037621:Artemisinins; D007783:Lactones; D011223:Praziquantel; C075875:artemisin