Background: There is a paucity of studies that compare efficacy of drugs obtained by different diagnostic methods.
Methods: We compared the efficacy of a single oral dose albendazole (400 mg), measured as egg reduction rate, against soil-transmitted helminth infections in 210 school children (Jimma Town, Ethiopia) using both Kato-Katz thick smear and McMaster egg counting method.
Results: Our results indicate that differences in sensitivity and faecal egg counts did not imply a significant difference in egg reduction rate estimates.
Conclusion: The choice of a diagnostic method to assess drug efficacy should not be based on sensitivity and faecal egg counts only.
Keywords: Anthelminthic drug efficacy; Egg reduction rate; Ethiopia; Kato-Katz thick smear; McMaster egg counting method; Soil-transmitted helminths.
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