***TASK*** the task is to summarize an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***INPUT*** the input is a biomedical literature 
    ***OUTPUT*** the output is the summary of an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***DOCUMENTATION*** 
    ***EXAMPLES*** 
    Input: Background The control of soil-transmitted helminth ( STH ) infections currently relies on the large-scale administration of single-dose oral albendazole or mebendazole . However , these treatment regimens have limited efficacy against hookworm and Trichuris trichiura in terms of cure rates ( CR ) , whereas fecal egg reduction rates ( ERR ) are generally high for all common STH species . We compared the efficacy of single-dose versus triple-dose treatment against hookworm and other STHs in a community-based r and omized controlled trial in the People 's Republic of China . Methodology /Principal findings The hookworm CR and fecal ERR were assessed in 314 individuals aged ≥5 years who su bmi tted two stool sample s before and 3–4 weeks after administration of  single-dose oral albendazole ( 400 mg ) or mebendazole ( 500 mg ) or triple-dose albendazole ( 3 × 400 mg over 3 consecutive days ) or mebendazole ( 3 × 500 mg over 3 consecutive days ) . Efficacy against T. trichiura , Ascaris lumbricoides , and Taenia spp . was also assessed . Albendazole  cured significantly more hookworm infections than mebendazole in both treatment regimens ( single dose : respective CRs 69 % ( 95 % confidence interval [ CI ] : 55–81 % ) and 29 % ( 95 % CI : 20–45 % ) ; triple dose : respective CRs 92 % ( 95 % CI : 81–98 % ) and 54 % ( 95 % CI : 46–71 % ) ) . ERRs followed the same pattern ( single dose : 97 % versus 84 % ; triple dose : 99.7 % versus 96 % ) . Triple-dose regimens outperformed single doses against T. trichiura ; three doses of mebendazole – the most efficacious treatment tested – cured 71 % ( 95 % CI : 57–82 % ) . Both single and triple doses of either drug were highly efficacious against A. lumbricoides ( CR : 93–97 % ; ERR : all > 99.9 % ) . Triple dose regimens cured all Taenia spp . infections , whereas single dose applications cured only half of them . Conclusions / Significance Single-dose oral albendazole is more efficacious against hookworm than mebendazole . To achieve high CRs against both hookworm and T. trichiura , triple-dose regimens are warranted . Trial Registration www.controlled-trials.com IS RCT A r and omized clinical trial was conducted to compare the effectiveness of albendazole alone and albendazole combined with praziquantel in the treatment of Trichuris trichiura infection . The drug regimens consisted of single dose of albendazole 400 mg ( A1 , n=34 ) , 3 days of albendazole 400 mg daily ( A3 , n=34 ) , 5 days of albendazole 400 mg daily ( A5 , n=35 ) , single dose of albendazole 400 mg plus praziquantel 40 mg/kg ( AIP1 , n=34 ) , and 3 days of albendazole 400 mg plus praziquantel 40 mg/kg daily ( A3P3 , n=36 ) . It was found that treatment with 3 or more consecutive days of albendazole with or without praziquantel result ed in a significant reduction in density of Trichuris eggs in stools while a single dose of such drug did not . Praziquantel was not shown to have synergistic or antagonistic effects with albendazole . A regimen of 400 mg of albendazole daily for 3 days was found to be the most suitable therapy for Trichuris infection The comparative efficacy of albendazole and mebendazole in the treatment of intestinal nematode infections were compared 3 weeks after treatment in a r and omized trial among schoolchildren on Pemba Isl and , Tanzania .  Egg counts were compared 3 weeks , 4 months and 6 months after treatment of 731 children seen on each occasion . Differences in the efficacies were apparent with some nematodes 21 d after treatment , but these were no longer apparent 4 months after treatment , and by 6 months intensities of infection were similar to pre-treatment levels . These findings suggest that treatment of schoolchildren every 4 months may be necessary in this highly endemic area in order to have an impact on the intensity of intestinal nematode infections sufficient to be likely to reduce morbidity Background To control soil-transmitted helminth ( STH ) infections , the World Health Organization recommends school-based deworming programs with a health hygiene education component . The effect of such health hygiene interventions , however , has not been adequately studied . The objective of the present study was to determine the effectiveness of a health hygiene education intervention on the occurrence of STH re-infection four months post-de-worming . Methodology /Principal Findings An open-label pair-matched cluster-r and omized trial was conducted in Grade 5 schoolchildren of 18 primary schools ( 9 intervention and 9 control ) in the Peruvian Amazon . Baseline assessment included interview with a pre-tested question naire and collection of single stool specimens that were examined using the single Kato-Katz thick smear . All schoolchildren were then treated with single-dose albendazole ( 400 mg ) . Schoolchildren in intervention schools then received 1 ) an initial one hour in-class activity on health hygiene and sanitation and 30-minute refresher activities every two weeks over four months ; and 2 ) a half-day workshop for teachers and principals , while children in control schools did not . Four months later , STH infection was re-assessed in all schools by laboratory technologists blinded to intervention status . From April 21–October 20 , 2010 , a total of 1,089 schoolchildren ( 518 and 571 from intervention and control schools , respectively ) participated in this study . Intervention children scored significantly higher on all aspects of a test of STH-related knowledge compared with control children ( aOR = 18·4 ; 95 % CI : 12·7 to 26·6 ) . The intensity of Ascaris lumbricoides infection at follow-up was statistically significantly lower ( by 58 % ) in children in intervention schools compared with children in control schools ( aIRR = 0·42 ; 95 % CI = 0·21 to 0·85 ) . No significant changes in hookworm or Trichuris trichiura intensity were observed . Conclusions / Significance A school-based health hygiene education intervention was effective in increasing STH knowledge and in reducing Ascaris lumbricoides infection . The benefits of school-based periodic deworming programs are likely to be enhanced when a sustained health hygiene education intervention is integrated into school curricula BACKGROUND Commonly used drugs for preventive chemotherapy against soil-transmitted helminths ( ie , albendazole and mebendazole ) show low efficacy against Trichuris trichiura . Recent studies with oxantel pamoate revealed good cure rates and high egg-reduction rates against T trichiura . We aim ed to assess the nature of the dose-response relation to determine the optimum dose . METHODS We did a parallel , r and omised , placebo-controlled , single-blind trial with oxantel pamoate in school-aged children ( aged 6 - 14 years ) infected with T trichiura on Pemba Isl and , Tanzania . Children were asked to provide two stool sample s and children positive for T trichiura were eligible to participate in the trial . Children were excluded if they suffered from any systematic illness . Children were r and omly assigned to six different oxantel pamoate doses ( 5 - 30 mg/kg ) or a placebo . R and omisation was stratified by baseline infection intensity using r and om block sizes of seven and 14 . The primary endpoints were cure rates and egg-reduction rates against T trichiura , both analysed by available case . Drug safety was assessed 2 h and 24 h after treatment . The trial is registered at www.is rct n.com , number IS RCT N86603231 . FINDINGS Between Oct 14 , and Nov 28 , 2014 , we enrolled 480 participants and r and omly assigned 350 children to the different oxantel pamoate doses or the placebo . 5 mg/kg oxantel pamoate was the minimum effective dose ( 10 of 46 children cured [ cure rate 22 % , 95 % CI 11 - 36 ] ; egg-reduction rate 85·0 % , 64·5 - 92·9 ) . An increased probability of being cured and reduced egg counts with escalating doses was recorded . At 25 mg/kg oxantel pamoate 27 of 45 children were cured ( cure rate 60 % , 95 % CI 44 - 65 ) with an egg-reduction rate of 97·5 % ( 94·4 - 98·9 ) , and at 30 mg/kg 27 of 46 children were cured ( 59 % , 43 - 73 ) with an egg-reduction rate of 98·8 % ( 96·8 - 99·6 ) . Oxantel pamoate was well tolerated across all treatment groups ; only mild adverse events were reported by the participants 2 h ( 27 [ 10 % ] ) and 24 h ( 12 [ 4 % ] ) after treatment . INTERPRETATION Our dose-finding study revealed an excellent tolerability profile  of oxantel pamoate in children infected with T trichiura . An optimum therapeutic dose range of 15 - 30 mg/kg oxantel pamoate was defined . With a weight independent dose of 500 mg oxantel pamoate 95 % of children aged 7 - 14 years in sub-Saharan Africa would receive doses of 11·7 - 32·0 mg/kg . Future research should include studies with oxantel pamoate in younger children and on different continents with the ultimate goal to be able to add oxantel pamoate to soil-transmitted helminth control programmes . FUNDING Swiss National Science Foundation Background The currently used anthelmintic drugs , in single oral application , have low efficacy against Trichuris trichiura infection , and hence novel anthelmintic drugs are needed . Nitazoxanide has been suggested as potential drug c and i date . Methodology The efficacy and safety of a single oral dose of nitazoxanide ( 1,000 mg ) , or albendazole ( 400 mg ) , and a nitazoxanide-albendazole combination ( 1,000 mg–400 mg ) , with each drug administered separately on two consecutive days , were assessed in a double-blind , r and omized , placebo-controlled trial in two schools on Pemba , Tanzania .  Cure and egg reduction rates were calculated by per- protocol analysis and by available case analysis . Adverse events were assessed and grade d before treatment and four times after treatment . Principal Findings Complete data for the per- protocol analysis were available from 533 T. trichiura-positive children .  Cure rates against T. trichiura were low regardless of the treatment ( nitazoxanide-albendazole , 16.0 % ; albendazole , 14.5 % ; and nitazoxanide , 6.6 % ) . Egg reduction rates were 54.9 % for the nitazoxanide-albendazole combination , 45.6 % for single albendazole , and 13.4 % for single nitazoxanide . Similar cure and egg reduction rates were calculated using the available case analysis . Children receiving nitazoxanide had significantly more adverse events compared to placebo recipients . Most of the adverse events were mild and had resolved within 24 hours posttreatment . Conclusions / Significance Nitazoxanide shows no effect on T. trichiura infection . The low efficacy of albendazole against T. trichiura in the current setting characterized by high anthelmintic drug pressure is confirmed . There is a pressing need to develop new anthelmintics against trichuriasis . Trial Registration Controlled-Trials.com IS RCT Vietnam is participating in a global de-worming effort that aims to treat 650 million school children regularly by 2010 . The treatment used in Vietnam is single dose oral mebendazole ( Phardazone ) 500 mg . We tested the efficacy of single dose mebendazole 500 mg in the therapy of hookworm infection in a r and omized double-blind placebo-controlled trial among 271 Vietnamese schoolchildren . The treatment efficacy of single dose mebendazole in children did not differ significantly from placebo , with a reduction in mean eggs per gram of feces relative to placebo of 31 % ( 95 % CI -9 to 56 % , P = 0.1 ) . In light of these findings we then carried out a similar r and omized trial comparing triple dose mebendazole , single dose albendazole , and triple dose albendazole against placebo in 209 adults in the same area . The estimated reduction in mean post-treatment eggs per gram of feces relative to placebo was 63 % ( 95 % CI 30 - 81 % ) for triple mebendazole , 75 % ( 47 - 88 % ) for single albendazole , and 88 % ( 58 - 97 % ) 
    Output:
    
Conclusions All four currently recommended drugs show limitations in their efficacy profile .
While only albendazole showed good efficacy against hookworm infection , all drugs had low efficacy against T trichiura .