Efficacy of single doses of mebendazole in the treatment of Trichuris trichiura infection.

Single doses of 100 mg, 200 mg, 400 mg, and 600 mg of mebendazole in the treatment of very light to heavy Trichuris infections all reduced egg output by over 80%. The egg reduction rates were not affected by increased dosages of mebendazole given in heavier infections. Lower cure rates were obtained in patients with heavier worm burdens despite increased dosages of mebendazole, probably as a result of the diarrhea which is frequently associated with heavy Trichuris infection. A single dose of 600 mg mebendazole in the treatment of very light to very heavy infections gave egg reduction and cure rates similar to those obtained with the recommended multiple-dose regime of 100 mg mebendazole twice a day for 3 consecutive days. The single-dose treatment of Trichuris infections with mebendazole is of considerable public health importance as this single dose regime is easy to administer, well-accepted, well tolerated, less expensive, and has a broad spectrum effect. The risk of erratic migration of Ascaris with single doses of mebendazole does not appear to exceed the risk in a multiple-dose regime.