Recent Advances in the Use of Anthelmintics for Treating Nematode Infections

The recent trends of parasitic infections in Korea include remarkable decreases of soil-transmitted nematode infections and elimination of lymphatic filariasis. In comparison, enterobiasis (pinworm infection) continues to be prevalent among children and the cases of zoonotic tissue-invading nematode infection are slightly increasing or they are being increasingly diagnosed. In addition, imported parasitoses continue to be problems from the clinical and public health points of view. In this review, the advances in the management and anthelmintic treatment of these nematode infections are briefly reviewed. Albendazole, mebendazole, thiabendazole, flubendazole, pyrantel pamoate, pyrvinium pamoate, oxantel pamoate, levamisole, ivermectin, and diethylcarbamazine are the examples of anti-nematode anthelmintics that are currently being used. Although several of these drugs are known to be broad-spectrum anthelmintics, selection of each drug should be done specifically for each nematode infection, and with consideration of the specific conditions of each patient and the purposes, for example, when performing individual or mass treatment. It is hoped that the chemotherapy regimens reviewed here will help physicians to treat their patients infected with nematode parasites.

Mosquito infection with microfilaria two years after administration of a combination of diethycarbamazine and albendazole in Khanh Vinh district, Khanh Hoa province

The study was conducted in Khanh Trung commune, Khanh Vinh district of Khanh Hoa province to assess the mosquito infection two years after DEC administration. Seventeen species of mosquito belonging to 5 genera have been found of which the main vector Wuchereria bancrofti was predominant. Indoor collection of Culex quinquefasdatus at daytime and nighttime was 3.5 and 2.3 individuals/house, respectively. Cx. vishnui was mainly found on the cattle sheds with an average density of 4.6 individuals/shed. A total of 578 mosquitoes of five species (Cx. quinqllefasciatus, An. vaglls, Cx. tritaeniorhynchus, Cx. vislznui, Cx. fuscocephalus) were dissected. None of them were positive with microfilaria.