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Safety and efficacy of praziquantel syrup (Epiquantel®) against Schistosoma haematobium and Schistosoma mansoni in preschool-aged children in Niger

Garba, Amadou and Lamine, Mariama S. and Djibo, Ali and Tahirou, Almoustapha and Aouami, Mahamadou Aboubacar and Alfari, Aichatou and Phillips, Anna E. and Fenwick, Alan and Utzinger, Jürg. (2013) Safety and efficacy of praziquantel syrup (Epiquantel®) against Schistosoma haematobium and Schistosoma mansoni in preschool-aged children in Niger. Acta tropica : Zeitschrift für Tropenwissenschaften und Tropenmedizin, 128 (2). pp. 318-325.

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Official URL: http://edoc.unibas.ch/dok/A6194543

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Abstract

Given the characteristic age-prevalence curve of Schistosoma infection, preventive chemotherapy with praziquantel is primarily targeted at school-aged children, whilst, in highly endemic areas, other high-risk groups might be included for regular treatment. Nevertheless, schistosomiasis can affect children well before they reach school-age, but this population group is usually excluded from preventive chemotherapy. We assessed the safety and efficacy of praziquantel syrup (Epiquantel(®)) in preschool-aged children in three villages of Niger. Children aged ≤72 months provided multiple urine and stool samples that were microscopically examined using standard protocols. Schistosoma-positive children were treated with praziquantel syrup at a dose of 40mg/kg after a meal of millet porridge. Children remained under medical supervision for 4h and adverse events were recorded. Additionally, a questionnaire was administrated to the mothers/guardians 24h post-treatment for further probing of adverse events. Treatment efficacy was evaluated 3 and 6 weeks post-treatment using multiple stool and urine samples. A third of the 243 treated children reported adverse events within 4h, whilst a further 6.2% reported adverse events upon probing 24h post-treatment. Abdominal pain, bloody diarrhoea and sleepiness were the most common adverse events, but these were transient and self-limiting. Praziquantel syrup showed moderate-to-high efficacy against Schistosoma haematobium with egg reduction rates of 69.4% and 71.2% 3 and 6 weeks post-treatment and cure rates of 85.7% (95% confidence interval (CI) 79.7-90.5%) and 94.9% (95% CI 90.5-97.6%), respectively. Considerably lower cure and egg reduction rates were observed against Schistosoma mansoni (e.g. cure rate at 6-week post-treatment follow-up was only 50.6% (95% CI 39.9-61.2%). Concluding, praziquantel syrup is well tolerated in preschool-aged children with moderate-to-high efficacy against S. haematobium, but considerably lower efficacy against S. mansoni in Niger. A larger study is warranted to investigate the observed differences in species-specific susceptibilities and to assess operational issues and community-effectiveness.
Faculties and Departments:09 Associated Institutions > Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH)
09 Associated Institutions > Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) > Former Units within Swiss TPH > Health Impact Assessment (Utzinger)
UniBasel Contributors:Utzinger, Jürg and Garba, Amadou
Item Type:Article, refereed
Article Subtype:Research Article
Publisher:Elsevier Science Publ.
ISSN:0001-706X
Note:Publication type according to Uni Basel Research Database: Journal article
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Last Modified:24 Oct 2017 08:08
Deposited On:18 Jul 2014 09:10

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