title: Therapeutic efficacy of different brands of albendazole against soil transmitted helminths among students of Mendera Elementary School, Jimma, Southwest Ethiopia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Different brands Albendazole are commercially available and the efficacious brand/s is/are required for effective control of STHs infection. Thus, this study is aimed at determining the therapeutic efficacy of different brands of albendazole against soil transmitted helminths among school children of Jimma town.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross sectional survey for prevalence of geohelminths and a randomized trial for efficacy study of different brands of albendazole was conducted among students Mendera Elementary School from March 29 to April 29, 2010. Positive subjects were randomized into three treatment arms using lottery method. The collected stool samples were examined by the McMaster method. CRs were calculated using SPSS windows version 16 and ERRs were calculated using appropriate formula.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 715 school children who had their stools examined, 326 were positive for STHs with a prevalence rate of 45.6%. The cure rates (CR) for A. lumbricoides, T. trichiura and Hookworm were 99.4, 59.9 and 93.7%, respectively. Similarly, the egg reduction rates (ERR) were 97, 99.9 and 99.9% respectively. A statistical significant mean STH egg count difference were observed between pre and post-intervention study (p <0.001). But no statistical significant curing effect difference were observed among the three brands used against the three STHs (p >0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  All the three brands of Albendazole tested regardless of the brand type were therapeutically efficacious for Ascariasis, Trichuriasis and Hookworm infections irrespective of the infection status whether it was single or multiple.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Dire Dawa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Ephrem
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tefera
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences and Pathology, College of Public Health and Medical Sciences, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Tariku
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Belay
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences and Pathology, College of Public Health and Medical Sciences, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Seleshi Kebede
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Mekonnen
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences and Pathology, College of Public Health and Medical Sciences, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zeynudin
authors.affiliation: Department of Population and Family Health, College of Public Health and Medical Sciences, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Tefera
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Belachew
mesh_terms: D015766:Albendazole / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D000871:Anthelmintics / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005002:Ethiopia; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D006373:Helminthiasis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology; D006376:Helminths / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012987:Soil / Q000469:parasitology; D013334:Students; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000871:Anthelmintics; D012987:Soil; D015766:Albendazole
keywords: Therapeutic efficacy; albendazole; brand; soil transmitted