ABSTRACT
The object of the study was the efficacy of Pyrazimoquinoline (Praziquantel) as an antischistosomicidal drug on the prevalence of schistosomiasis in a community-based chemotherapy trial. The study; which for the first time in Sierra Leone evaluated the efficcacy of Praziquantel; was undertaken in five (5) chiefdoms in Moyamba district. Parasitological surveys were conducted on 483 individuals; randomly selected by stratified sampling. Individuals found positive for S. haematobium and S. mansoni infection were treated with Praziquantel orally; at the recommended dose of 40mg/kg two weeks after parasitological examination. A follow-up parasitological survey to assess the impact of therapy was performed 10 weeks after the administration of the drug
Subject(s)
Drug Evaluation , Praziquantel , Schistosomiasis/drug therapyABSTRACT
The paper explains the pharmacological effects of the drug which include vacuolation and degeneration of the worm. The degeneration of parasite surface as well as migration into the worm is a critical event in the action of PZQ