Efficacy of a single dose albendazole chemotherapy on human intestinal helminthiasis among school children in selected rural tropical communities

Introduction: The impact of chemotherapy on human intestinal helminthiasis among school children in semi-urban tropical communities of Igbo-Eze South Local Government Area of Enugu State, South-Eastern Nigeria, was investigated. Materials and Methods: Stool samples were obtained from 1296 school children (ages 4-15 years) from six schools randomly selected from the study area. Helminth eggs were recovered from stool samples. Those infected were treated with single oral dose of 400 mg albendazole tablets and re-examined for helminth eggs 4 weeks post-treatment. Results: Out of 1296 school children examined, 106 (8.1%) of the children were significantly (P < 0.05) infected with human intestinal helminths thus: 64 (4.9%) with Ascaris lumbricoides, 33 (2.5%) with hookworm and 9 (0.7%) with Trichuris trichiura. Out of the 64 children infected with A. lumbricoides, there was a reduction in the prevalence of infection by 18.8%. Furthermore, out of the 33 children infected with hookworm, there was a reduction in the prevalence of infection by 15.1%. Out of the nine children infected with T. trichiura, there was a reduction in the prevalence of infection by 22.2%. Conclusion: These findings suggest intestinal helminth specificity to the efficacy of albendazole. Thus, further research into the development of more effective antihelminthic drugs is necessary.