title: Impact on prevalence of intestinal helminth infection in school children administered with seven annual rounds of diethyl carbamazine (DEC) with albendazole.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  One third of the world's population is infected with one or more of the most common soil-transmitted helminths (STH). Albendazole (ALB) is being administered with diethyl carbamazine (DEC) in filariasis endemic areas to eliminate lymphatic filariasis (LF) and helminth infections. In this study, the cumulative impact of seven annual rounds of mass drug administrations (MDA) of DEC and ALB on STH infection in school children in selected villages in southern India was determined.
  
  
  METHODS
  During 2001-2010, seven MDAs were implemented by the Tamil Nadu s0 tate h0 ealth d0 epartment, India. LF and STH infections were monitored in school children from 18 villages of the two treatment arms (viz, DEC alone and DEC+ALB). Kato-Katz cellophane quantitative thick smear technique was employed to estimate STH infections at three weeks, six months and one year post MDA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prior to treatment, an overall STH prevalence was 60 per cent. After each MDA, infection markedly reduced at three weeks post-treatment in both the arms. The prevalence increased at six months period, which was maintained up to one year. After seven rounds of MDA, the infection reduced from 60.44 to 12.48 per cent in DEC+ALB arm; while the reduction was negligible in DEC alone arm (58.77 to 52.70%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Seven rounds of MDA with DEC+ALB reduced the infection load significantly, and further sustained low level of infection for 10 years. However, complete parasite elimination could not be achieved. To curtail STH infection in the community, MDA should be regularized and environmental sanitation measures need to be improved by effective community-based campaigns.
authors.forename: I P
authors.initials: IP
authors.lastname: Sunish
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rajendran
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Munirathinam
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kalimuthu
authors.forename: V Ashok
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nagaraj
authors.affiliation: Centre for Research in Medical Entomology (ICMR), Madurai, India.
authors.forename: B K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Tyagi
mesh_terms: D015766:Albendazole / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D004049:Diethylcarbamazine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004605:Elephantiasis, Filarial / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D006373:Helminthiasis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology; D006376:Helminths / Q000187:drug effects / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006801:Humans; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D015766:Albendazole; D004049:Diethylcarbamazine