Improvements in physical fitness of Kenyan schoolboys infected with hookworm, Trichuris trichiura and Ascaris lumbricoides following a single dose of albendazole

Abstract

We studied physical fitness with the Harvard step test (HST), in primary schoolboys infected with hookworm (91% baseline prevalence), Trichuris trichiura (94%) and Ascaris lumbricoides (39-40%) who received a single 400 mg dose of albendazole or an identical placebo. Boys were examined, allocated at random to placebo or albendazole groups, treated, and re-examined 7 weeks later. The 2 groups did not differ significantly before treatment in age, anthropometry, haemoglobin levels, prevalence or intensity of the 3 helminth infections, or in initial HST fitness scores and heart rates. Seven weeks after treatment, the albendazole group (n = 18) exhibited significant improvements in fitness scores and heart rates at 1, 2, 3, and 4 min after the HST while in the placebo group (n = 15) these quantities had not changed significantly. After treatment, the albendazole group had significant decreases in the logarithmic egg counts for hookworm (80% reduction in arithmetic means) and A. lumbricoides (100% reduction); T. trichiura egg counts did not change significantly. The placebo group showed a borderline increase in the logarithms of hookworm egg counts and no significant change in T. trichiura and A. lumbricoides egg counts. Multiple regression analysis showed that the significant linear predictors of increase in HST score after treatment were decrease in resting heart rate after treatment, and decreases in hookworm egg counts and logarithms of A. lumbricoides egg counts after treatment. We conclude that single dose treatment with albendazole, despite continual exposure to reinfection, can allow improved physical fitness in schoolboys in areas where soil-transmitted helminths and protein-energy malnutrition are highly prevalent.

Impact of iron supplementation and deworming on growth performance in preschool Beninese children

“…However, both treatments did not improve the linear growth performance of these children. The lack of improvement in linear growth may not be ascribed to the duration or to the age of the children in our study since signi®cant improvements in linear growth were obtained with iron supplementation and also with deworming treatment for a comparable duration as in our study and most of these studies included school age children (Hadju et al, 1998;Lawless et al, 1994;Angeles et al, 1993;Stephenson et al, 1993;Chwang et al, 1988). Also, the lack of improvement in linear growth of our children cannot be explained by applied doses since appropriate iron and albendazole doses were used based on the World Health Organization's recommendations (DeMayer, 1989;WHO, 1992).…”

Soil‐transmitted helminthiasis in Myanmar and approximate costs for countrywide control

“…These infections especially affect children in developing countries and are associated with poor growth, reduced physical activity and impaired learning ability (Stephenson et al 1990;Nokes et al 1992;Adams et al 1994;Koroma et al 1996;Stoltzfus et al 1996). Regular treatment of the population at risk with a broad spectrum anti-helminthic drug has been advocated as a cheap and effective means of reducing the worm burden and its related morbidity (WHO 2002).…”

Prevalence and intensity of soil-transmitted helminthiasis in the city of Portoviejo (Ecuador)

“…These infections affect most frequently children in developing countries and are associated with poor growth, reduced physical activity and impaired learning ability (Stephenson et al 1990, Nokes et al 1992, Adams et al 1994, Koroma et al 1996, Stoltzfus et al 1996. Infection can only be definitely controlled by improvement in sanitation and living conditions, but in the short term these measures can scarcely be implemented due to lack of resources.…”