3. Results
All stools from the school children were first investigated
for A. lumbricoides by Kato Katz examination. 229 stool
samples fulfilled the criteria and they were divided based
on the worm burden (epg) into mild infection (epg < 5 000),
moderate infection (epg 5 000-49 999) and severe infection
(epg > 50 000). 189 samples fulfilled the criteria of mild
infection, 38 samples of moderate infection and 2 samples of
severe infection. They were later randomized into two groups
to receive the treatment. 123 children received albendazole
and 106 children received mebendazole, and were further
analyzed based on the worm burden:
The mild infection group showed that children who
received albendazole were 105 out of 123 (85.4%) whilst
mebendazole were 84 out of 106 (79.2%) (P>0.05). In the
moderate infection group, 17 out of 123 (13.8%) who received
albendazole showed no significant difference to 21 out of
106 (19.9%) (P>0.05). The severe infection group showed that
1 out of 123 (0.8%) of the albendazole group and 1 out of 106
(0.9%) of the mebendazole group had no statistical difference,
(P>0.05). Based on the intensity of the infection as measured
by the worm burden as a whole, both treatment groups
showed no difference (P>0.05).
The calculation of the cure rate (CR) and the ERR was
done using fresh stool samples taken on the preparation day
and on week-1, and showed that there was no significant
difference in the intensity of A. lumbricoides infection
between the albendazole and mebendazole. The CR of
albendazole and mebendazole groups are 96.7% and 100.0%
respectively, but statistically they do not show significant
difference (P>0.05). The ERR of albendazole is 99.3% while
the ERR of mebendazole is 100.0% (P>0.05).
The stool cultures of the albendazole and mebendazole
groups showed similar pattern. Both showed final increase
in unsegmented eggs after 4 weeks of culture (P