Anthelmintic drugs for the treatment of intestinal nematode infections.

Abstract

Despite the worldwide effort to reduce the burden of human parasitic diseases, intestinal nematode infections are considered to be public health problems for those living in tropical and subtropical countries. Besides public sanitation and educational approaches, anthelminthic drugs are the mainstay for eradication of infected individuals and prevention of further transmission cycle of parasites. Commonly used anthelminthic drugs for treatment of intestinal nematode infections include mebendazole, albendazole, thiabendazole and pyrantel pamoate. Of those, albendazole and mebendazole possess broad spectrum anthelminthic activities, low cost, high efficacy, high compliance and less adverse effects that are appropriate for use in large scale treatment for intestinal nematode control program. This article reviews the efficacy rates of these anthelminthic drugs including ivermectin for the treatment of major intestinal nematode infections (ascariasis, trichuriasis, hookworm infections, strongyloidiasis, enterobiasis and cappillariasis) based on analysis of published data.