OXAMNIQUINE CURES SCHISTOSOMA-MANSONI INFECTION IN A FOCUS IN WHICH CURE RATES WITH PRAZIQUANTEL ARE UNUSUALLY LOW

An outbreak of Schistosoma mansoni in northern Senegal was observed in 1988, and chemotherapy with praziquantel in this recently established focus resulted in very low parasitologic cure rates, Among other expl anations, the emergence of a praziquantel-tolerant parasite strain was reared, To study this hypothesis further, 138 persons with endemic S. mansoni infection were randomly allocated to treatment with either 20 mg/kg oxamniquine or 40 mg/kg praziquantel. Parasitologic cure rates at 6 weeks were significantly higher in the oxamniquine group (79%) co mpared with those In the praziquantel group (36%; P = .0043). The redu ction in egg counts was generally good, but 12% less reduced in the pr aziquantel group. These results confirm that cure rates with praziquan tel were abnormally low, whereas oxamniquine performed satisfactorily, as in other areas in which S. mansoni is endemic, The possibility of a praziquantel-tolerant S. mansoni strain must therefore be studied ca refully.