Praziquantel in the treatment of mixed S. haematobium and S. mansoni infections

Abstract

A randomized single blind stratified study involving 153 patients with mixed S. mansoni and S. haematobium infection showed that 2-cyclohexylcarbonyl-1,2,3,6,7,11b-hexahydro-4H-pyrazino[2,1-a]isoquinolin-4-one (praziquantel, EMBAY 8440, Biltricide) is effective in giving high cure rates in each infection separately, 66% (64 patients) and 77% (94 patients), respectively. The complete clearance of both infections (i.e., no eggs whether dead or alive) 6 months after treatment was 29% (43 patients). The side effects of the drug were minimal and transient, the most common being gastrointestinal ones. The assessment of the objective tolerability by clinical, haematological and biochemical tests showed also that the drug was very safe. It is thus concluded that the drug is a promising useful tool in the control of schistosomiasis in general and the treatment of the individual.