comparative efficacy study of praziquantel and albendazole treatment in experimental schistosomiasis

The currently used drug for chemotherapeutic control of schistosomiasis is praziquantel [PZQ]. Albendazole is a broad spectrum antiparasitic drug that showed trematocidal activity. The present study aimed at testing the effect of albendazole on experimental schistosomiasis mansoni infection using PZQ as therapeutic control. Swiss strain albino mice were infected with Schistosoma mansoni [S. mansoni] cercariae. Drugs were given orally on the 45[th] day post infection [PI] for 2 successive days. Mice were sacrificed on the 47[th] day PI and subjected to parasitological and scanning electron microscopic [SEM] studies. Albendazole caused a significant reduction in worm load and those recovered were shorter as measured by the camera lucida. By SEM, perfused S. mansoni albendazole treated worms showed surface tegumental changes. Albendazole is a promising drug for treatment of schistosomiasis