Study of Schistosoma mansoni isolates from patients with failure of treatment with oxamniquine

After three successive treatments with oxamniquine the continuing eliminati on of Schistosoma mansoni eggs was observed inpatients, who came from vario us regions of Brazil, with different clinical forms of schistosomiasis. The objective of the present study was to determine the experimental behaviour of five different S. mansoni isolates in Swiss Webster mice that were subm itted to treatment with the same drug. The experimental group with failure of treatment showed higher mean number of surviving male worms when it was compared to the group without failure of treatment. These date suggest the possibility of resistance to oxamniquine.