The Effectiveness of Triple Dose Albendazole in Treating Soil Transmitted Helminths Infection

الملخص EN

Soil transmitted helminths (STH) infection is a major health problem in tropical countries such as Indonesia.

Albendazole is an effective and widely used anthelmintic agent to treat STH; however, it is not effective towards T.

trichiura and its effectiveness varies between populations.

Hence, we conducted a study to determine the effectiveness of triple dose albendazole in children of Perobatang village, Southwest Sumba, Indonesia.

A pre-post study was carried out in Perobatang village on July 2016.

Children aged 1-15 years old were enrolled in the study and asked to collect stool samples which were then examined using Kato-Katz method.

The children infected with STH were given albendazole 400 mg for three consecutive days.

From 246 subjects examined, 192 (78%) were positive for any STH consisting of T.

trichiura (64%), A.

lumbricoides (60%), and hookworms (10%).

After treatment, the prevalence of STH decreased significantly (McNemar test, p<0.001) to 27%, T.

trichiura 25%, A.

lumbricoides 2%, and hookworm 0%.

Cure rate for T.

trichiura, A.

lumbricoides, and hookworms was 61%, 97%, and 100%, respectively.

Significant decrease of eggs per gram of feces was found in all STH (Wilcoxon test, p value <0.001 for A.

lumbricoides and T.

trichiura, p value = 0.027 for hookworms); egg reduction rate for T.

trichiura was 91%, A.

lumbricoides was 100%, and hookworms was 100%.

In conclusion, triple dose albendazole is effective in controlling STH in children of Perobatang village, Southwest Sumba, Indonesia.