The efficacy of single-dose albendazole for the treatment of ascariasis

  • Deddy S Putra
  • W Dalimunthe
  • M Lubis
  • S Pasaribu
  • Chairuddin Lubis
Keywords: ascariasis, single-dose albendazole, efficacy

Abstract

Objective This study aims to assess the efficacy of single-dose
albendazole in treating mild, moderate, and severe ascariasis.
Methods Stool specimens were collected from randomly selected
elementary school children in Suka village, Sumatera Utara, from
March to April 2002. Based on the number of eggs per gram feces
(NEPG), samples were categorized as mild (NEPG < 7000), mod-
erate (NEPG 7000-35,000), or severe (NEPG > 35,000) ascari-
asis. All subjects then received 400 mg albendazole orally. NEPG
count was repeated on the 7 th , 14 th , 21 st and 28 th day after treat-
ment. The chi-square test was used to compare cure rates be-
tween subjects with mild, moderate, and severe ascariasis. The
ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis tests were employed to analyze quan-
titative data.
Results From the 134 specimens collected, we found mild ascari-
asis in 57 (42.5%), moderate ascariasis in 57 (42.5%), and severe
ascariasis in 20 (15%). There was no significant difference be-
tween the three groups in NEPG after treatment (P>0.05). The
cure rate and egg reduction rate on day 28 after treatment was 100%.
Conclusion A single dose of 400 mg albendazole is effective for
the treatment of mild, moderate, and severe ascariasis.

Author Biographies

Deddy S Putra
Department of Child Health, Medical School, University of
Sumatera Utara, Medan, Indonesia.
W Dalimunthe
Department of Child Health, Medical School, University of
Sumatera Utara, Medan, Indonesia.
M Lubis
Department of Child Health, Medical School, University of
Sumatera Utara, Medan, Indonesia.
S Pasaribu
Department of Child Health, Medical School, University of
Sumatera Utara, Medan, Indonesia.
Chairuddin Lubis
Department of Child Health, Medical School, University of
Sumatera Utara, Medan, Indonesia.

References

1. Montresor A, Crompton DWT, Hall A, Bundy DAP,
Savioli L. Guidelines for the evaluation of soil-trans-
mitted helminthiasis and schistosomiasis at commu-
nity level: A guide for managers of control programmes.
Geneva: WHO; 1998. p. 1-45.
2. Merid Y, Hegazy M, Mekete G, Teklemariam S. Intes-
tinal helminthic infection among children at Lake
Awassa Area. Ethiop J Health Dev 2001;15:31-8.
3. Rampengan TH, Laurentz IR. Askariasis. In: Penyakit
infeksi tropik pada anak. Jakarta: EGC; 1997. p. l217-33.
4. Makimian R. Ascaris lumbricoides. In: Leshmana P,
editor. Diagnostik Parasitologi Kedokteran. Jakarta:
EGC; 1996. p. 138-44.
5. Department of Helminthology, Faculty of Tropical
Medicine. Helminthology laboratory quantitative
methods for worm burden. DTM&H course; 1987.
6. Pasaribu S. Anthelmintik generasi baru. Presented at
Simposium Sehari Anthelmintik Generasi Baru; 1989
Dec 2; Medan, Indonesia.
7. Goldsmith RS. Clinical pharmacology of the anthelm-
intic drugs. In: Katzung BG, editor. Basic and clinical
pharmacology. 8th ed. California: Appleton & Lange;
1997. p. 903-11.
8. Pugh RNH, Teesdale CH, Burnham GM. Albendazole
in children with hookworm infection. Trop Med
Parasitol 1986;5:565-7.
9. Margono SS, Abidin SAN, Mahfudin H, Ismid IS.
Pengobatan cacing-cacing yang ditularkan melalui
tanah khususnya Trichuris trichiura dengan albendazole
dan mebendazole. Maj Parasitol Indones 7:1-7.
10. Gani EH. Efek ovisidal mebendazol dan albendazol
terhadap Ascaris lumbricoides dan Trichuris trichiura
[unpublished].
11. Dewayani BS, Situmeang R, Sembiring T, Gani EH,
Pasaribu S, Lubis CP. Albendazole pada soil transmit-
ted helminthiasis [thesis]. Medan: University of
Sumatera Utara; 2001.
12. Norhayati M, Oothuman P, Azizi O, Fatmah MS. Effi-
cacy of single dose albendazole on the prevalence and
intensity of infection of soil-transmitted helminthes in
Orang Asli children in Malaysia. Southeast Asian J
Trop Med Public Health 1997;3:563-9.
13. Ow-Yang CK, Hanjeet K. A Report on albendazole in
the single dose treatment of soil-transmitted helminths.
Treatment 1983;77-81.
14. Gazder AJ, Roy J. Albendazole suspension in the treat-
ment of intestinal helminthiasis in children. Curr Ther
Res Clin Exp 1987;3:324-7.
15. Misra PK, Pande NK, Jagota SC. Albendazole in the
treatment of intestinal helminthiasis in children. Curr
Med Res Opin 1985;9:516-9.
16. Abadi K. Single dose mebendazole therapy for soil-
transmitted nematodes. Am J Trop Med Hyg 1985; 34:
129-33.
17. Hadju Y, Stephenson L, Satriono, Bowman D,
Mohammed H, Abadi K. Comparison between
albendazole and pyrantel pamoate once and twice
yearly in urban slum school in Ujung Pandang. Med J
Indones 1996;5:195-202.
18. Alisah S, Abidin N, Mochtar A, Margono SS,
Rukmono B. Albendazole in the treatment of intesti-
nal helminthiasis. Maj Kedokter Indones 1986; 36: 377-
80.
19. Ahmad A, Zohra A, Yasmin N. Albendazole in in-
testinal helminthiasis. J Pak Med Assoc 1986; 36: 114-
7.
20. Jongsuksuntigul P, Jeradit C, Pornpattanakul S,
Chanasari U. A comparative study on the efficacy
of albendazole and mebendazole in the treatment of
ascariasis, hookworm infection and trichuriasis.
Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health 1993;
4:724-9.
21. Rahman WA. Comparative trials using albendazole
and mebendazole in the treatment of soil-transmit-
ted helminthiasis in schoolchildren in Penang, Ma-
laysia. Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health
1996;27:4.
22. Martin J, Keymer R, Isherwood J, Wainwright SM. The
prevalence and intensity of Ascaris lumbricoides infec-
tions in moslem children from Northern Bangladesh.
Transactions of The Royal Society of Tropical Medi-
cine and Hygiene 1983;77(5):702-6.
23. Ozumba UC, Ozumba N. Patterns of helminth infec-
tion in the human gut at the University of Nigeria
Teaching Hospital, Enugu, Nigeria. J Health Sci
2002;48:263-8.
24. Kemp C, Roberts A. Ascariasis. Infectious diseases
bioterrorisme & infectious diseases of refugees & im-
migrants. Available from: URL: http://www.baylor.edu/
Charleskemp/ascariasis.htm.
25. Fallah M, Mirarab A, Jamalian F, Ghaderi A. Evalua-
tion of two years of mass chemotherapy against ascari-
asis in Hamadan, Islamic Republic of Iran. Bull World
Health Organ 2002;80:399-402.
Published
2016-10-10
How to Cite
1.
Putra D, Dalimunthe W, Lubis M, Pasaribu S, Lubis C. The efficacy of single-dose albendazole for the treatment of ascariasis. PI [Internet]. 10Oct.2016 [cited 13Nov.2024];45(3):118-2. Available from: https://paediatricaindonesiana.org/index.php/paediatrica-indonesiana/article/view/816
Section
Articles
Received 2016-10-06
Accepted 2016-10-06
Published 2016-10-10