Mass treatment with albendazole reduces the prevalence and severity of Oesophagostomum-induced nodular pathology in northern Ghana

TY - JOUR

T1 - Mass treatment with albendazole reduces the prevalence and severity of Oesophagostomum-induced nodular pathology in northern Ghana

AU - Ziem, J. B.

AU - Spannbrucker, N.

AU - Olsen, A.

AU - Magnussen, P.

AU - Diederen, B. M.W.

AU - Horton, J.

AU - Polderman, A. M.

PY - 2006/8/1

Y1 - 2006/8/1

N2 - Previous surveys conducted in northern Ghana where Oesophagostomum bifurcum is endemic showed that O. bifurcum-induced nodular pathology could be detected in up to 50% of the inhabitants. The impact of albendazole-based mass treatment to control both infection and morbidity is assessed and compared with the situation in a control area where no mass treatment has taken place. A significant reduction in the prevalence of infection based on stool cultures was achieved following two rounds of mass treatment in one year: from 52.6% (361/686) pre treatment to 5.2% (22/421) 1 year later (χ12 = 210.1; P < 0.001). At the same time, the morbidity marker of ultrasound-detectable nodules declined from 38.2% to 6.2% (χ12 = 138.1; P < 0.001). There was a shift from multinodular pathology, often seen in heavy infections, to uninodular lesions. In the control villages where no treatment took place, O. bifurcum infection increased from 17.8% (43/242) to 32.2% (39/121) (χ12 = 9.6; P < 0.001). Nodular pathology decreased slightly from 21.5% to 19.0%, but a higher proportion of these subjects developed multinodular pathology compared with baseline (χ12 = 5.5; P = 0.019). It is concluded that repeated albendazole treatment significantly reduces O. bifurcum-induced morbidity.

AB - Previous surveys conducted in northern Ghana where Oesophagostomum bifurcum is endemic showed that O. bifurcum-induced nodular pathology could be detected in up to 50% of the inhabitants. The impact of albendazole-based mass treatment to control both infection and morbidity is assessed and compared with the situation in a control area where no mass treatment has taken place. A significant reduction in the prevalence of infection based on stool cultures was achieved following two rounds of mass treatment in one year: from 52.6% (361/686) pre treatment to 5.2% (22/421) 1 year later (χ12 = 210.1; P < 0.001). At the same time, the morbidity marker of ultrasound-detectable nodules declined from 38.2% to 6.2% (χ12 = 138.1; P < 0.001). There was a shift from multinodular pathology, often seen in heavy infections, to uninodular lesions. In the control villages where no treatment took place, O. bifurcum infection increased from 17.8% (43/242) to 32.2% (39/121) (χ12 = 9.6; P < 0.001). Nodular pathology decreased slightly from 21.5% to 19.0%, but a higher proportion of these subjects developed multinodular pathology compared with baseline (χ12 = 5.5; P = 0.019). It is concluded that repeated albendazole treatment significantly reduces O. bifurcum-induced morbidity.

KW - Albendazole

KW - Coproculture

KW - Ghana

KW - Mass treatment

KW - Nodular pathology

KW - Oesophagostomum bifurcum

KW - Ultrasound

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33745063939&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.trstmh.2005.11.011

DO - 10.1016/j.trstmh.2005.11.011

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 16730763

AN - SCOPUS:33745063939

SN - 0035-9203

VL - 100

SP - 760

EP - 766

JO - Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

JF - Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

IS - 8

ER -