Publications by authors named "A Krolewiecki"
Background: Treatments for soil-transmitted helminthiases face challenges, especially in addressing Trichuris trichiura. Combination regimens, particularly of ivermectin and albendazole, are promising. We aimed to assess the safety, efficacy, and palatability of a combination tablet for the treatment of T trichiura, hookworm, and Strongyloides stercoralis infections among school-aged children in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Mozambique.
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- Trichuris trichiura is a major soil-transmitted helminth infection affecting about 460 million individuals globally, with the Kato-Katz (K-K) method recommended for diagnosis by the WHO, despite its limitations.
- A study within a clinical trial compared the effectiveness of K-K against real-time PCR in measuring treatment outcomes for T. trichiura, finding that PCR provided a better estimation of cure rates, particularly when using a combination of anthelmintics.
- The results suggest that real-time PCR is a more reliable diagnostic tool in clinical trials for helminth infections and emphasize the need for consistent diagnostic standards across studies.
Article Synopsis
- Strongyloidiasis is a widespread parasitic infection affecting 300-600 million people, particularly in tropical regions, and poses serious health risks, especially during immunosuppression, with high fatality rates.
- There have been no significant global health initiatives targeting this disease until recently, when the WHO included it in their roadmap for controlling neglected tropical diseases, highlighting its importance.
- The new WHO guidelines recommend mass drug administration of ivermectin in areas with a prevalence of over 5%, aiming for effective public health strategies to combat strongyloidiasis.
We discuss the potential usefulness of molecular testing of soil, dust, and water samples to detect medically important parasites, and where such testing could be used to supplement stool sampling in humans. A wide variety of parasites including protozoa and helminths, many of which are zoonotic, have an important infection reservoir in the environment. In some cases, this environmental period is essential for further parasite development.
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