Helminth Infections in Haitian children

Wuchereria Therapy; Efficacy of combined treatment of helminth infections examined

2005 SEP 9 - (NewsRx.com) -- Investigators have determined the tolerance and efficacy of combined diethylcarbamazine and albendazole for treatment of Wuchereria bancrofti and intestinal helminth infections in Haitian children.

According to a study from the United States and Haiti, "This randomized, placebo-controlled trial investigated the tolerance, efficacy, and nutritional benefit of combining chemotherapeutic treatment of intestinal helminths and lymphatic filariasis. Children were infected with Ascaris (30.7%), Trichuris (53.4%), and hookworm (9.7%) with 69.9% having more than one of these parasites. A total of 15.8% of the children had Wuchereria bancrofti microfilariae."

"Children were randomly assigned treatment with placebo, albendazole (ALB), diethylcarbamazine (DEC), or combined therapy," said Leanne M. Fox and collaborators at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Hopital Sainte Croix in Haiti. "The combination of DEC/ALB reduced microfilarial density compared with placebo, ALB, or DEC (pless than or equal to0.03). Albendazole and DEC/ALB reduced the prevalence of Ascaris, Trichuris, and hookworm more than placebo or DEC (pless than or equal to0.03). Among Trichuris-infected children, those receiving ALB and DEC/ALB demonstrated greater gains in weight compared with placebo (pless than or equal to0.05)."

The researchers concluded, "Albendazole and DEC/ALB were equally efficacious in treating intestinal helminths and for children with W. bancrofti microfilaremia, DEC/ALB was more effective than DEC, with no increase in severity of adverse reactions."

Fox and her coauthors published their study in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (Tolerance and efficacy of combined diethylcarbamazine and albendazole for treatment of Wuchereria bancrofti and intestinal helminth infections in Haitian children. Am J Trop Med Hyg, 2005;73(1):115-121.

For more information, contact Michael J. Beach, Division of Parasitic Diseases, National Center for Infectious Disease, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway, Mailstop F-22, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA. E-mail: mbeach@cdc.gov.

Publisher contact information for the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene is: American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 8000 Westpark Drive, Suite 130, McLean, VA 22101, USA.

This article was prepared by Drug Week editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2005, Drug Week via NewsRx.com.