Interpreting low praziquantel cure rates of Schistosoma mansoni infections in Senegal

Abstract

Praziquantel is currently the drug of choice for the treatment of schistosomiasis. Selective treatment of Schistosoma mansoni infections in various endemic countries usually present cure rates of >70% when using the standard dose of 40 mg kg(-1) body weight of praziquantel. However, unusually low cure rates (18-38%) have been reported from Senegal, raising fears for emergence of resistance (or tolerance) to praziquantel. One major problem is the precise quantitative interpretation of cure rates, which allows an unequivocal distinction between drug failure and normal drug performance. This article reviews studies on praziquantel treatment of population by standardizing the data through an innovative meta-analysis and provides empirical evidence concerning the extent to which the reported low cure rates from Senegal are atypical.