Double‐Blind Placebo‐Controlled Study of Concurrent Administration of Albendazole and Praziquantel in Schoolchildren with Schistosomiasis and Geohelminths

TLDR

A double‑blind, placebo‑controlled trial enrolled over 1,500 children in China, the Philippines, and Kenya, administering albendazole and praziquantel concurrently and monitoring infection status, growth, hemoglobin, and morbidity for six months. The drugs did not influence each other’s cure rates or overall side‑effect profiles, but praziquantel treatment was associated with higher rates of nausea, abdominal pain, and headache—especially in schistosomiasis patients—and produced a significant six‑month rise in serum hemoglobin.

Abstract

A double-blind placebo-controlled study of the concurrent administration of albendazole and praziquantel was conducted in >1500 children with high prevalences of geohelminths and schistosomiasis. The study sites were in China and the Philippines, including 2 strains of Schistosoma japonicum, and 2 different regions of Kenya, 1 each with endemic Schistosoma mansoni or Schistosoma haematobium. Neither medication affected the cure rate of the other. There was no difference between the side effect rate from albendazole or the double placebo. Praziquantel-treated children had more nausea, abdominal pain, and headache but these side effects were statistically more common in children with schistosomiasis, suggesting a strong influence of dying parasites. The subjects were followed for 6 months for changes in infection status, growth parameters, hemoglobin, and schistosomiasis morbidity. In all 4 sites, a significant 6-month increase in serum hemoglobin was observed in children who received praziquantel, strongly supporting population-based mass treatment.