Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2021 Dec 20:2021:2625255.
doi: 10.1155/2021/2625255. eCollection 2021.

Efficacy of Praziquantel for the Treatment of Human Schistosomiasis in Ethiopia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Tamirat Hailegebriel  1   2 , Endalkachew Nibret  1   2 , Abaineh Munshea  1   2
Affiliations
Review

Efficacy of Praziquantel for the Treatment of Human Schistosomiasis in Ethiopia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Tamirat Hailegebriel et al. J Trop Med. .

Abstract

Background: Schistosomiasis is one of the neglected tropical diseases causing a serious human health problem in Ethiopia. Praziquantel is the only drug that has been used for the treatment of human schistosomiasis in the country. In line with this, the efficacy of praziquantel has been evaluated in a few interventional studies in the country, but there is a lack in systematically gathered and analyzed information for policymakers. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to provide a summary of the efficacy of praziquantel for the treatment of human schistosomiasis in Ethiopia.

Methods: We conducted a literature search from ScienceDirect, PubMed/Medlin, and Google Scholar databases. A total of 140 articles published in English from 1980 to June 2021 were accessed and 15 of them were eligible for this meta-analysis. The meta-analysis was conducted using Stata 14 software, "metan command." The heterogeneities among studies were evaluated using I 2 test.

Results: A total of 140 articles were reviewed, but only 15 of them fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The polled cure rate of 40 mg/kg praziquantel was 89.2% (95% CI: 85.4-93.1) and 93.6% (95% CI: 80.6-106) among Schistosoma mansoni and S. haematobium, respectively. Similarly, the mean egg reduction rates of 40 mg/kg praziquantel were 90.2% and 85% among S. mansoni and S. haematobium infected subjects, respectively. The common adverse events observed after receiving praziquantel include abdominal pain, vomiting, headache, diarrhea, and bloody stool.

Conclusion: This systematic review and meta-analysis has indicated that praziquantel is still an appropriate drug for the treatment of human schistosomiasis in Ethiopia.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PRISMA flow diagram showing the selection process of articles used to determine the efficacy of praziquantel among the Ethiopian population.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Forest plot showing the cure rate of praziquantel at 40 mg/kg for the treatment of human schistosomiasis based on Schistosoma species in Ethiopia.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Egger's funnel plot indicating possible publication bias on the efficacy of 40 mg/kg praziquantel for the treatment of human schistosomiasis.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Forest plot showing the cure rate of praziquantel at 40 mg/kg for the treatment of human schistosomiasis based on the nature of study participants in Ethiopia.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Forest plot showing the cure rate of praziquantel at 40 mg/kg for the treatment of human schistosomiasis in Ethiopia by region of study.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Forest plot showing the cure rate of praziquantel at 40 mg/kg for the treatment of human schistosomiasis based on years of studies in Ethiopia.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. WHO. Schistosomiasis . Geneva, Switzerland: WHO; 2020. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/schistosomiasis .
    1. Steinmann P., Keiser J., Bos R., Tanner M., Utzinger J. Schistosomiasis and water resources development: systematic review, meta-analysis, and estimates of people at risk. The Lancet Infectious Diseases . 2006;6(7):411–425. doi: 10.1016/s1473-3099(06)70521-7. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Barry M. A., Simon G. G., Mistry N., Hotez P. J. Global trends in neglected tropical disease control and elimination: impact on child health. Archives of Disease in Childhood . 2013;98(8):635–641. doi: 10.1136/archdischild-2012-302338. - DOI - PubMed
    1. King C. H., Dickman K., Tisch D. J. Reassessment of the cost of chronic helmintic infection: a meta-analysis of disability-related outcomes in endemic schistosomiasis. The Lancet . 2005;365(9470):1561–1569. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(05)66457-4. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Pinto-Almeida A., Mendes T., de Oliveira R. N., et al. Morphological characteristics of schistosoma mansoni PZQ-resistant and -susceptible strains are different in presence of praziquantel. Frontiers in Microbiology . 2016;7(594) doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.00594. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources