Outcome of mass administration of praziquantel in controlling urinary schistosomiasis among primary school pupils in Lunga-Lunga, Kwale County

Abstract

Background: There is scant information on the outcome of mass praziquantel administration to school-age pupils in schistosomiasis endemic areas in Kenya. Objective: To determine the outcome of mass administration of praziquantel in controlling urinary schistosomiasis among primary school pupils in Lunga-Lunga, Kwale County.
Main Outcome Measures: Infection, cure and urinary egg reduction rates. Prevalence of adverse drug reactions.

Methods: This was a pre-post study among 180 pupils randomly selected from three schools, their urine collected and examined for Schistosoma haematobium prior to mass praziquantel administration and 14-21 days after treatment. Outcomes of drug administration were assessed using the infection rates, cure rates, urinary egg reduction rates and prevalence of adverse drug reactions. All data were analysed using STATA version 14 at P≤0.05.
Results: Participants within the age group 9 -< 12 years had the highest prevalence (18.6%) of infection. The overall cure rate was 71.4%. Although the overall mean egg reduction rate (ERR) post treatment was at 88.6%, the average ERR among respondents aged >12 and 9-12 years were 92.2% and 84.6%, respectively. A higher ERR (93.2%) was recorded among the males compared to the females (81.8%). There was a significant association between egg reduction rates among the three schools studied. No serious adverse drug reactions were reported.
Conclusion: Administration of praziquantel is an effective treatment for schistosomiasis among infected pupils and should be scaled up beyond the school going children. Larger scale-controlled studies are required to ascertain the safety and efficacy of praziquantel in mass drug administration.