Intestinal parasites are common among the Ethiopian immigrants to Israel and mass treatment is necessary to prevent local transmission. For this purpose, stool samples obtained from the immigrants in absorption centers were examined. Of 5,412 samples obtained, 4,399 (81.3%) were positive: 2,644 (54.2%) for Necator americanus, 2,273 (46.6%) for Schistosoma mansoni, 990 (20.3%) for Ascaris lumbricoides, 1,040 (21.3%) for Hymenolepsis nana, 940 (19.2%) for Trichuris trichiura, 219 (4.5%) for Strongyloides stercoralis, 17 (0.4%) for Fasciola hepatica, 551 (11.3%) for Giardia lamblia, and 499 (9.2%) for Entamoeba histolytica. The cure rate for
necatoriasis by treatment with 400 mg of
albendazole was 84.4% (better than with other drugs), either alone or in combination (
pyrantel with bephenium or
pyrantel with
praziquantel, or
praziquantel with
albendazole).
Albendazole, 400 mg for 3 days, cured 92% of the cases of S. stercoralis
infection.
Praziquantel, 40 mg/kg
body weight, in a single dose was effective in 89.7% of cases of S. mansoni, and 60% of cases of H. nana, although a 100% cure rate for H. nana was achieved with
praziquantel at a dose of 20 mg/kg per day for 2 days. Two persons infected with F. hepatica were cured by 40 mg/kg
praziquantel for 7 days.
Tinidazole, 2 g in a single dose, cured 100% of persons infected with G. lamblia, while 60% of persons infected with E. histolytica were cured when treated with 2 g
tinidazole for 3 days. Mass treatment of all the immigrants with 400 mg
albendazole and 40 mg/kg
praziquantel concomitantly resulted in a cure rate of 84.4% of all intestinal worms.