COMPARATIVE STUDY BETWEEN THE EFFECT OF NITAZOXANIDE AND PAROMOMYCINE IN TREATMENT OF CRYPTOSPORIDIOSIS IN HOSPITALIZED CHILDREN

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Assuit, Egypt.

2 Department of Parasitology, FacultY of Medicine, Qena University, Egypt.

3 Department of Parasitology, FacultY of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt.

4 Department of Parasitology, FacultY of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Assuit, Egypt.

5 Department of Pediatric, FacultY of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Assuit, Egypt.

6 Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Assuit University, Egypt.

Abstract

Ninety children infected with Cryptosporidium parvum attending Al-Azhar University Teaching Hospital (Assuit) were chosen (60 males & 30 females) with age range from 6 months to ten years. The patients were divided into two groups of 45 patients for each (G1 & G2). All patients suffered from chronic diarrhea for more than fifteen days. Cross-matched 45 children suffering from chronic diarrhea were used as a control group (G3). Stool samples were collected and examined for detection of Cryptosporidium oocysts using Sheather's sugar and Modified Ziehl- Nelseen stain techniques. The first group (G1) received Nitazoxanide (100 mg and 200 mg every 12 hours for 3 days for children aged 6 months to 3 years and children aged 4 to 10 years respectively), G2 received Paromomycin (25mg/kg/day for 2 weeks). Third group received placebo. Significant improvement and shortening of the duration of diarrhea occur in G1; of 45 patients received Nitazoxanide 39 cases showed complete clinical and laboratory cure (86.6 %), 5 cases showed clinical improvement with reduction in the number of oocysts and 1 case showed no cure. In G2 of 45 cases received Paromomycin 31 cases showed complete cure (68.8 %), 8 cases showed clinical improvement with reduction of oocysts number and 6 cases were not cured. Nitazoxanide proved highly effective than Paromomycin in cryptosporidiosis.

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