preliminary trial on the effect of leavo-tetramisole on various intestinal helminthiases in iran

the effect of a new anthelmintic compound, leavo-tetramisole, in the mass-treatment of several intestinal helminthes has been evaluated during a study undertaken among the population of the village of zavieh hajian, located about 10 km northwest of dezful, khuzestan.in the autumn of 1972, a total of 83 inhabitants, 65 of whom were simultaneously infected with ascaris, hookworm (ancylostoma) and tricho­strongylus spp. and 18 of whom where infected with the first two helminthes only, were treated with 40 mg tablets of the drug., the drug was given in a single dose of one tablet to the age group below 6, two tablets to the age group 6-15 and 3 tablets to adults. a group of 61 patients was kept as a control. administration of the drug resulted in cure rates of 98.8% for ascaris, 95.2% for ancylostoma and 93.9% for trichostrongylus:, the reduction in the mean number of eggs among remaining cases was very high low intensity side-effects, which were encountered among 20% of treated cases only, included, in order of frequency abdominal pain, headache, vertigo and vomiting. the high efficacy of this drug on 3 species of helminthes prevalent in the area, together with ifs effect in a single dose, make it the drug of choice for the mass-treatment of patients infected with helminthiasis in the southwestern part of iran.