Efficacy of alebendazole and mebendazole in the treatment of Ascaris and Trichuris infections.

Author(s): Legesse M, Erko B, Medhin G

Affiliation(s): Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Publication date & source: 2002-10, Ethiop Med J., 40(4):335-43.

Publication type: Clinical Trial; Randomized Controlled Trial

This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of 100 mg mebendazole administered twice a day for three consecutive days and a single dose of 400 mg albendazole for the treatment of single or mixed Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura infections. Both drugs were found to be highly effective against Ascaris lumbricoides infection, with cure rate of over 96% and egg reduction of over 99.8%. However, the efficacy of the two drugs against Trichuris trichiura infection was low. Mebendazole appeared to be more effective against Trichuris trichiura in that it exhibited a cure rate of 34.7% and egg reduction of 92.3% as opposed to albendazole, which exhibited a cure rate and egg reduction rate of 13.9% and 63.4%, respectively. The two drugs appeared to have little effect on Schistosoma mansoni infection. More complaints were reported by individuals treated with albendazole than with mebendazole. In conclusion, mebendazole appears to be safer and more effective for the treatment of single or mixed infections with Trichuris trichiura and Ascaris lumbricoides as compared to albendazole.