Therapeutic efficacy of triclabendazole in treatment of human fascioliasis

ABSTRACT

Human fascioliasis has recently been widely found in many regions of Vietnam confirmed by clinical and laboratory examinations. Therapeutic efficacy of the specific treatment drug for this disease - triclabendazole (provided by WHO) - was investigated in a study conducted in the hospital for tropical diseases, Ho Chi Minh city from November 2004 to August 2005. A total number of 53 patients treated with single dose of triclabendazole 10 mg/kg of body weight were found to have good compliance. All clinical symptoms disappeared within 24 hours of drug administration and three days later the patients were allowed to discharge with the good health status pinky face, no abdominal pain and fever, normal vital signs, and good general status. All the patients were requested to return to hospital for re-checking after three months. However, only 18 of them had followed the request due to the objective reasons. The returned ones were found to have good health state with no resurgent clinical features and normal laboratory findings except for a slow decrease of antibody titer. The remaining patients were followed up via telephone and mails showed good health status. Triclabendazole was found to be a good anti-fascioliasis drug with high safety and efficacy and low side effects, and is recommended to widely use in treatment for fascioliasis.