Four relatively new broad spectrum anthelmintics (thiabendazole, mebendazole, levamisole and pyrantel pamoate) were compared with two older anthelmintics, (tetrachloroethylene and hexylresorcinol) to treat heavy Fasciolopis buski infections in 17 children aged 4–13 years in hospital. Tetrachloroethylene was the most effective drug in these 17 children and another 49. Large numbers of worms were expelled and faecal egg counts were markedly reduced (99%). The mean number of worms per child was 122 with a range of 7 to 818. All the other anthelmintics tested were ineffective; no worms or only a few were expelled after treatment. However, the oral administration of tetrachloroethylene and hexylresorcinol were associated with severe anaphylactic reactions which were prevented by prior treatment with antihistamines.
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Jointly supported by grants from US Public Health Service 5 RO7 AI 70048 (NIH) and International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh. ICDDR,B is supported by countries and agencies which share its concern about the impact of diarrhoeal diseases on the developing world.