Abstract

A total of 48 subjects harbouring Trichuris trichiura, Ascaris lumbricoides, hookworm and/or Enterobius vermicularis were treated with oxantel/pyrantel pamoate tablets (100 mg of each) in a single dose of 20 mg base per kg of body weight. In all 37 cases of A. lumbricoides and 8 cases of A. duodenale infections cured completely, and the mean recovered worm-load was 3.8 with a range of 1-21 and 5.8 with a range of 3-9 respectively. In T. trichiura infection, 32(71.1%) of 45 cases cured completely and the average egg reduction rate was 90.8 per cent. The mean recovered worm-load was 14.6 with a rnage of 1-77 worms. On the other hand, in E. vermicularis infection, 37 (84.1 %) of 44 patients were negative eggs by anal swab tests on the 10 to 11th days and 27 (61.4%) on the 20 to 21st days after treatment. The mean recovered worm-load was 17.7 with a range of 1-62. Only one patient with Trichostrongylus orientalis treated with this drug showed no eggs in his stools throughout the post-treatment examinations. Side effects were not noted in all treated cases. These findings demonstrate that a single dose of oxantel/pyrantel pamoate tablets can be considered a drug of choice for multiple infections with these nematodes.