Publications scientifiques
Antonia Foka Sindze
Laurentine Sumo
André Domché
Jean Bopda
Felix Priso Bile
Denis D. Ngara Bonguen
Emilienne Epée
Georges B. Nko’Ayissi
Daniel Olusola Ojurongbe
Joseph Kamgno
Hugues C. Nana Djeunga* (Auteur correspondant)
Preprints.org
Preventive chemotherapy (PC), involving the periodic administration of anthelmintic drugs such as albendazole or mebendazole to at-risk populations, is the main strategy for controlling soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections in endemic countries. This study assessed the efficacy of a single dose of albendazole against STH infections in the Akonolinga Health District, Centre Region, Cameroon, where STH prevalence remains high despite more than a decade of PC implementation. A community-based screening survey identified 131 individuals infected with at least one of the target species, Ascaris lumbricoides or Trichuris trichiura. All infected participants received a single dose of Albendazole. Three weeks after treatment, stool samples were collected and examined using the Kato–Katz technique to evaluate treatment efficacy. Cure rate (CR), defined as the proportion of participants who became egg-free, and egg reduction rate (ERR), reflecting the decrease in egg counts, were computed. For A. lumbricoides, the CR was 94.9% (95% CI: 87.7 - 98.0) and the ERR was 97.5%, while for T. trichiura, the CR and ERR were 26.0% (95% CI: 17.5 - 36.7) and 29.8%, respectively. Compared with WHO efficacy thresholds, Albendazole showed satisfactory effectiveness against A. lumbricoides but poor efficacy against T. trichiura. Species-specific treatment strategies are urgently needed to improve STH control and support elimination efforts.
