The efficacy of single doses of albendazole in the treatment of intestinal helminths (Roundworms) in children at Muhimbili Medical Centre

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerance of Albendazole administered as a single dose in the treatment of children with intestinal nematodes and cestodes. 56 children with intestinal helminthic infections, aged between 3 and 6 years were treated with 200 mg single doses of Albendazole suspension. Egg loads per gram of stool were calculated from the Kato/Kratz table, pre treatment, 2 weeks and 3 weeks after treatment. Urinalysis, alanine transaminase levels and haemogram were done to check for the safety of this new drug. The total efficacy was found to be 89.3% (50/56 children) with individual cure rates of 100% (12/12 children) for Necator americanus and 95.2 % (20/21 children) and 85.3% (29./34 children) for Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura respectively. The drug was well accepted by the children and no side effects were seen. Biochemically, there were no significant changes before and after treatment suggesting that Albendazole is a safe drug. The lower age and the not very heavy egg loads in this study group are important factors contributing to the higher cure rates when compared with similar studies. The orange flavour of Albendazole may explain the good acceptance of the drug by children. It is recommended that Albendazole should be used in Tanzania to treat infections with nematodes with the dosage of 200mg single dose in our paediatric age group and that further studies with Albendazole in children under 2 years is suggested as this partiuclar age group was not invovled in this study.