Prevalence of Schistosoma mansoni and effectiveness of Praziquantel in school children in Finchaa valley, Ethiopia

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.