CLINICAL INVESTIGATION OF A POPULATION RECENTLY INFECTED WITH SCHISTOSOMA-MANSONI (RICHARD-TOLL, SENEGAL)

Following the introduction of large-scale irrigation, an exceptional e pidemic of intestinal schistosomiasis occurred in northern Senegal whe n a non-immune population was exposed to massive infection. Subjects i nfected with Schistosoma mansoni were followed up parasitologically an d clinically from the onset of the epidemic. After the initial evaluat ion, patients received a health education session and were treated wit h praziquantel in a dose of 30 mg/kg. One year after this treatment, S . mansoni eggs were found in the stools of 227/301 subjects (75%) Twen ty-three per cent of subjects excreted >400 eggs per gram (e.p.g.) and 11% excreted >1000 e.p.g. of faeces. Overall, the geometric mean was 191 e.p.g. of faeces in infected individuals. The prevalence of diarrh oea was reduced from 55 to 29%, the prevalence of bloody diarrhoea fro m 44 to 11% and the prevalence of abdominal discomfort from 66 to 41% No hepatomegaly was found in these patients either before or one year after treatment. Splenomegaly was reduced from 30% (measured by ultras ound) to 3% (on clinical examination). Morbidity associated with S. ma nsoni infection was considerably reduced one year after treatment with praziquantel (30 mg/kg).