Efficacy of praziquantel in the treatment of Schistosoma haematobium infection among school-age children in rural communities of Abeokuta, Nigeria

Abstract

BackgroundChemotherapy with praziquantel (PZQ) has been the cornerstone of schistosomiasis control over the last two decades. Being the only available drug for the treatment of over 200 million people worldwide, continuous monitoring of PZQ efficacy under the pressure of widespread use is therefore advocated.MethodsThe efficacy of taking two doses of oral PZQ for the treatment of Schistosoma haematobium was examined among school children in Nigeria. Urine specimens were collected from 350 school children and examined using the filtration technique. Blood was collected for packed cell volume (PCV) estimation, and the weight and height of each child were estimated. S. haematobium egg positive pupils were treated with two oral doses of PZQ at 40 mg/kg with a four-week interval in between. Drug efficacy was determined based on the egg reduction rate (ERR).ResultsAmong 350 school children, 245 (70.0%) – of which 132 were males and 113 were females, with an age range of 4 to 15 years – were diagnosed with S. haematobium. All the 245 infected children received a single oral dose of 40 mg/kg PZQ twice with a four-week interval in between and were followed up for 12 weeks. At four, eight and twelve weeks post treatment, the ERR was 57.1%, 77.6% and 100%, respectively. The ERR was significantly higher among the children with a light infection compared to those with a heavy infection. One hundred and twenty-one children were egg negative at four weeks post treatment, among which 1 (6.3) and 120 (52.4%) had heavy and light infections, respectively. Following the second round of treatment, the cure rate at eight weeks and twelve weeks was 85.3% and 100%, respectively.ConclusionThis study demonstrated the efficacy of taking two doses of oral PZQ for the treatment of urinary schistosomiasis among school children in Nigeria.

Persistent Urogenital Schistosomiasis and Its Associated Morbidity in Endemic Communities within Southern Ghana: Suspected Praziquantel Resistance or Reinfection?

“…Resistance was not suspected in this study after treatment with praziquantel in the follow-up samples, which suggests that the drug continues to be effective in the treatment of urinary schistosomiasis. This finding agrees with what was observed by Ojurongbe et al [37] in Nigeria. They also could not detect the presence of viable eggs in the follow-up samples post-praziquantel treatment.…”

“…Parameters such as the egg reduction rate [30,34,38] and viability [33] which had been used by other researchers [29,31,33,37] and were then adapted as tools during the follow-up assessment for suspecting resistance in this study, gave consistent results. The egg reduction rates (ERR) recorded in this study (with the egg count pattern) from the second week to the twelfth week (76.3% to 100%) agrees with a study conducted at Abeokuta in Nigeria with an ERR between 57% and 100% by the twelfth week [37]. This demonstrates, somewhat, the efficacy of praziquantel.…”

High Efficacy of Praziquantel in Schistosoma haematobium-Infected Children in Taraba State, Northeast Nigeria: A follow-up study

“…20 However, in contrast, previous research from Nigeria and Cameroon has indicated much lower cure rates at 3-8 weeks post-treatment (49.4% and 39.8%, respectively). 21,22 This variation in reported cure rates could be the result of several factors, including the frequency of the children's exposure to infested waters, the rate of drug absorption and the extent of drug resistance among the studied populations.…”

Rare Association between Prostate Adenocarcinoma and Schistosomiasis: A Case Report

“…6 Praziquantel remains the drug of choice for treatment. 8 Resulting from an incidental finding, the presented case is among the few reports on concomitant prostate carcinoma and schistosomiasis. This association has long been reported, but the causal relationship remains unclear.…”