The Evaluation of Pre and Post Treatment Assessment of Albendazole among School Children in Ogun State, Nigeria

Background: Soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) are common in tropical and subtropical countries especially in areas with poor sanitation and restricted access to clean water sources and impact approximately 2 billion people worldwide, with school-age children being the most afflicted. Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, and hookworms (Necator americanus and Ancylostoma duodenale) collectively cause a significant global disease burden. The benzimidazole anthelmintics, mebendazole and albendazole, are commonly used to eradicate these infections. This study assessed the drug efficacy of albendazole in the treatment of STH infestations in school children.

Methods: Faecal egg counts (FEC) were determined using the Kato-Katz, Mac-Master Chamber, and formol-ether concentrations techniques, among 1103 elementary school students, ages 4 to 15 and efficacy was evaluated by the Cure Rate (CR) and the Faecal Egg Count Reduction (FECR).

Results: The cure rate (CR) of single dose albendazole treatment was observed for T. trichiura (99.3%), Hookworm (99.1%) and A. lumbricoides (98.1%).

Conclusion: A standard single-dose of Albendazole has a satisfactory efficacy against STHs among the school children in the study areas.

Keywords: Anthelminthics, Albendazole, helminths, school children, treatment, cure rate(CR)