Efficacy and safety of single and double doses of Ivermectin versus 7-day high dose Albendazole for chronic StrongyloidiasisArchived
A prospective, randomized, open study was conducted in which a 7-day course of oral albendazole 800 mg daily was compared with a single dose (200 microgram/kilogram body weight) or double doses, given 2 weeks apart, of ivermectin in Thai patients with chronic strongyloidiasis.
Suputtamongkol Y, Premasathian N, Bhumimuang K, Waywa D, Nilganuwong S, et al. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2011 5: e1044
A prospective, randomized, open study was conducted in which a 7-day course of oral albendazole 800 mg daily was compared with a single dose (200 microgram/kilogram body weight) or double doses, given 2 weeks apart, of ivermectin in Thai patients with chronic strongyloidiasis. Parasitological cure rate were 63.3%, 96.8% and 93.1% in albendazole, single dose oral ivermectin, and double doses of oral ivermectin respectively (P = 0.006) in modified intention to treat analysis. No serious adverse event associated with treatment was found in any of the groups.
ECDC comment: Strongyloidiasis is common throughout the tropics and isolated cases are still reported in Europe. It remains an important health problem due to autoinfection, which may result in life-threatening hyperinfection and disseminated infection in immunosuppressed patients, especially patients receiving chemotherapy or corticosteroid treatment. This study confirms that both a single, and a double dose of oral ivermectin taken two weeks apart, are more effective than a 7-day course of high dose albendazole for patients with chronic infection due to Strongyloides stercoralis. Double dose of ivermectin, taken two weeks apart, might be more effective than a single dose in patients with concomitant illness.