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document
Low efficacy of mebendazole against hookworm in Vietnam : two randomized controlled trials . Vietnam is participating in a global de-worming effort that aims to treat 650 million school children regularly by 2010 . The treatment used in Vietnam is single dose oral mebendazole ( Phardazone ) 500 mg. We tested the efficacy of single dose mebendazole 500 mg in the therapy of hookworm infection in a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial among 271 Vietnamese schoolchildren . The treatment efficacy of single dose mebendazole in children did not differ significantly from placebo , with a reduction in mean eggs per gram of feces relative to placebo of 31 % ( 95 % CI -9 to 56 % , P = 0.1 ) . In light of these findings we then carried out a similar randomized trial comparing triple dose mebendazole , single dose albendazole , and triple dose albendazole against placebo in 209 adults in the same area . The estimated reduction in mean post-treatment eggs per gram of feces relative to placebo was 63 % ( 95 % CI 30-81 % ) for triple mebendazole , 75 % ( 47-88 % ) for single albendazole , and 88 % ( 58-97 % ) for triple albendazole . Our results suggest that single dose oral mebendazole has low efficacy against hookworm infection in Vietnam , and that it should be replaced by albendazole . These findings are of major public health relevance given the opportunity costs of treating entire populations with ineffective therapies . We recommend that efficacy of anti-helminth therapies is pilot tested before implementation of national gut worm control programs .
30630
Intervention_Pharmacological
mebendazole
30631
Intervention_Pharmacological
mebendazole ( Phardazone )
30632
Intervention_Pharmacological
mebendazole
30633
Intervention_Control
placebo-controlled
30634
Intervention_Pharmacological
mebendazole
30635
Intervention_Control
placebo
30636
Intervention_Control
placebo
30637
Intervention_Pharmacological
mebendazole
30638
Intervention_Pharmacological
albendazole
30639
Intervention_Pharmacological
albendazole
30640
Intervention_Control
placebo
30641
Intervention_Control
placebo
30642
Intervention_Pharmacological
mebendazole
30643
Intervention_Pharmacological
albendazole
30644
Intervention_Pharmacological
albendazole
30645
Intervention_Pharmacological
albendazole
30646
Intervention_Pharmacological
anti-helminth therapies
30647
Outcome_Physical
mean eggs per gram of feces
30648
Outcome_Physical
reduction in mean post-treatment eggs per gram of feces
30649
Outcome_Other
low efficacy against hookworm infection