Abstract:
Schistosomiasis remains one of the most prevalent parasitic diseases in the world. Approximately 80%
of the estimated 200 million people infected annually world-wide live in Sub-Saharan Africa, including
Ethiopia where Schistosoma mansoni and Schistosoma haematobium are widespread. Recently,
Praziquantel has been reported to show low cure rates in different parts of the word. Since it is the only
drug for treatment of schistosomiasis in Ethiopia, there is a need to periodically evaluate its efficacy in
different geographic settings. To determine prevalence and evaluate the effectiveness of Praziquantel
against S. mansoni, a cross-sectional parasitological survey was conducted in Finchaa Sholoko
Elementary School, followed by a non-randomized trial. Students who tested positive for intestinal
schistosomiasis and fulfilling the criteria set were invited to take part in the efficacy study. Positive
students were treated with 40 mg/kg of Praziquantel. Cure and egg reduction rate were evaluated four
weeks after treatment through fecal egg count by two Kato-Katz assays on two consecutive days. Data
were analyzed using SPSS version 16.0. Prevalence of S. mansoni was 67.6%. From the children who
completed the study (n=204), parasitological cure rate and egg reduction rate were 80.9 and 99.51%,
respectively. There was a significant association between cure rate and pre-treatment infection
intensity (P < 0.05), but there was no significant association observed between cure rate and age
groups (P > 0.05). Praziquantel in a single dose of 40 mg/kg body weight remains efficacious despite
prolonged use of the drug. However, further studies in other endemic settings including other
community groups are needed.
