PRELIMINARY TRIAL ON THE EFFECT OF LEAVO-TETRAMISOLE ON VARIOUS INTESTINAL HELMINTHIASES IN IRAN

Abstract

The effect of a new anthelmintic compound, Leavo-tetramisole, in the mass-treatment of several intestinal helminthes has been evaluated during a study undertaken among the population of the village of Zavieh Hajian, located about 10 km northwest of Dezful, Khuzestan.In the autumn of 1972, a total of 83 inhabitants, 65 of whom were simultaneously infected with Ascaris, hookworm (Ancylostoma) and Tricho­strongylus spp. and 18 of whom where infected with the first two helminthes only, were treated with 40 mg tablets of the drug., The drug was given in a single dose of one tablet to the age group below 6, two tablets to the age group 6-15 and 3 tablets to adults. A group of 61 patients was kept as a control. Administration of the drug resulted in cure rates of 98.8% for Ascaris, 95.2% for Ancylostoma and 93.9% for trichostrongylus:, The reduction in the mean number of eggs among remaining cases was very high Low intensity side-effects, which were encountered among 20% of treated cases only, included, in order of frequency abdominal pain, headache, vertigo and vomiting. The high efficacy of this drug on 3 species of helminthes prevalent in the area, together with ifs effect in a single dose, make it the drug of choice for the mass-treatment of patients infected with helminthiasis in the southwestern part of Iran.