{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,8]],"date-time":"2026-07-08T00:42:16Z","timestamp":1783471336283,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":37,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,9,17]],"date-time":"2023-09-17T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1694908800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001713","name":"European Union","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["CSA2016S-1618"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CSA2016S-1618"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001713","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"name":"Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA)","award":["CSA2016S-1618"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CSA2016S-1618"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Pathogens"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Preventive chemotherapy with single-dose praziquantel is the WHO-recommended intervention strategy to eliminate schistosomiasis as a public health problem in endemic countries. Surveillance of drugs used in mass drug administration (MDA) programs is recommended to evaluate its effectiveness in reducing transmissions. After a decade-long implementation of a school-based MDA program in Rwanda, we conducted efficacy surveillance of single-dose praziquantel MDA against S. mansoni infection. Two weeks before MDA, stool examinations were performed to screen MDA-eligible school children (n = 4998) for S. mansoni infection using the Kato\u2013Katz technique, and 265 (6.5%) children tested positive for the infection. All children received praziquantel and albendazole as preventive chemotherapy through the MDA campaign. Infected children were enrolled and followed for efficacy monitoring, and stool examination was repeated after three weeks post-MDA (n = 188). Before treatment, 173 (92%) had a light infection, and 15 (8%) had a moderate infection intensity. The primary and secondary outcomes were parasitological cure and egg reduction rates at three weeks post-treatment. The overall cure and egg reduction rates for S. mansoni infection were 97.9% (95% CI = 94.6\u201399.4) and 97.02%, respectively. Among the 173 children with light infection intensity, 170 (98.3%, 95% CI = 95.0\u201399.6) were cured, and among the 15 children who had moderate infection intensity, 14 (93.3%) were cured. No significant association between cure rate and pre-treatment infection intensity was observed. We conclude that single-dose praziquantel is efficacious against light-to-moderate S. mansoni infection. Preventive chemotherapy with praziquantel effectively reduces schistosome reservoirs and transmission among school-age children.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/pathogens12091170","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,9,17]],"date-time":"2023-09-17T06:12:21Z","timestamp":1694931141000},"page":"1170","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":12,"title":["Efficacy of Single-Dose Praziquantel for the Treatment of Schistosoma mansoni Infections among School Children in Rwanda"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3718-3213","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Joseph","family":"Kabatende","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Widerstr\u00f6mska Huset, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lazare","family":"Ntirenganya","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Rwanda Food and Drugs Authority, Nyarutarama Plaza, KG 9 Avenue, Kigali P.O. Box 1948, Rwanda"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Michael","family":"Mugisha","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, KK 737 St., Kigali P.O. Box 3286, Rwanda"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Abbie","family":"Barry","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Widerstr\u00f6mska Huset, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Eugene","family":"Ruberanziza","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Neglected Tropical Disease and Other Parasitic Disease Unit, Rwanda Biomedical Center, KG 17 Ave., Kigali P.O. Box 4285, Rwanda"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Emile","family":"Bienvenu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Rwanda Food and Drugs Authority, Nyarutarama Plaza, KG 9 Avenue, Kigali P.O. Box 1948, Rwanda"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ulf","family":"Bergman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, 141 86 Stockholm, Sweden"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9788-0790","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Eleni","family":"Aklillu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Widerstr\u00f6mska Huset, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,9,17]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"WHO (2022). WHO Guideline on Control and Elimination of Human Schistosomiasis, World Health Organization."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"196","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bjid.2014.11.004","article-title":"Impact of human schistosomiasis in sub-Saharan Africa","volume":"19","author":"Adenowo","year":"2015","journal-title":"Braz. J. Infect. Dis."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Aula, O.P., McManus, D.P., Jones, M.K., and Gordon, C.A. (2021). Schistosomiasis with a Focus on Africa. Trop. Med. Infect. Dis., 6.","DOI":"10.3390\/tropicalmed6030109"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"144","DOI":"10.1093\/trstmh\/trx037","article-title":"Anemia and growth retardation associated with Schistosoma haematobium infection in Mali: A possible subtle impact of a neglected tropical disease","volume":"111","author":"Stecher","year":"2017","journal-title":"Trans. R. Soc. Trop. Med. Hyg."},{"key":"ref_5","unstructured":"World Health Organization World Health Assembly (2023, June 27). Schistosomiasis and Soil-Transmitted Helminth Infections. World Health Assembly 54.19. Available online: https:\/\/apps.who.int\/iris\/bitstream\/handle\/10665\/78794\/ea54r19.pdf."},{"key":"ref_6","unstructured":"World Health Organization (2023, February 07). Preventive Chemotherapy in Human Helminthiasis. Coordinated Use of Anthelminthic Drugs in Control Interventions: A Manual for Health Professionals and Programme Managers. Available online: https:\/\/www.who.int\/publications\/i\/item\/9241547103."},{"key":"ref_7","unstructured":"Center for Infectious Diseases Control Rwanda (2008). National Prevalence Survey on Soil-Transmitted Helminths and Schistosomiasis, Centre for Infectious Diseases Control Rwanda Access Project and National Reference Laboratory."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"8","DOI":"10.1186\/s40249-016-0212-z","article-title":"Schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis in Rwanda: An update on their epidemiology and control","volume":"6","author":"Rujeni","year":"2017","journal-title":"Infect. Dis. Poverty"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"315","DOI":"10.4269\/ajtmh.19-0866","article-title":"Nationwide Remapping of Schistosoma mansoni Infection in Rwanda Using Circulating Cathodic Antigen Rapid Test: Taking Steps toward Elimination","volume":"103","author":"Ruberanziza","year":"2020","journal-title":"Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg."},{"key":"ref_10","unstructured":"World Health Organization (2023, June 10). Assessing the Efficacy of Anthelminthic Drugs against Schistosomiasis and Soil-Transmitted Helminthiases. Available online: https:\/\/apps.who.int\/iris\/handle\/10665\/79019."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"125","DOI":"10.1016\/S1471-4922(01)02209-7","article-title":"Interpreting low praziquantel cure rates of Schistosoma mansoni infections in Senegal","volume":"18","year":"2002","journal-title":"Trends Parasitol."},{"key":"ref_12","first-page":"1151","article-title":"Reduced Efficacy of Praziquantel Against Schistosoma mansoni Is Associated With Multiple Rounds of Mass Drug Administration","volume":"63","author":"Crellen","year":"2016","journal-title":"Clin. Infect. Dis."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Mnkugwe, R.H., Minzi, O.S., Kinung\u2019hi, S.M., Kamuhabwa, A.A., and Aklillu, E. (2019). Efficacy and Safety of Praziquantel for Treatment of Schistosoma mansoni Infection among School Children in Tanzania. Pathogens, 9.","DOI":"10.3390\/pathogens9010028"},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Gebreyesus, T.D., Tadele, T., Mekete, K., Barry, A., Gashaw, H., Degefe, W., Tadesse, B.T., Gerba, H., Gurumurthy, P., and Makonnen, E. (2020). Prevalence, Intensity, and Correlates of Schistosomiasis and Soil-Transmitted Helminth Infections after Five Rounds of Preventive Chemotherapy among School Children in Southern Ethiopia. Pathogens, 9.","DOI":"10.3390\/pathogens9110920"},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"968106","DOI":"10.3389\/fphar.2023.968106","article-title":"Efficacy and safety of praziquantel preventive chemotherapy in Schistosoma mansoni infected school children in Southern Ethiopia: A prospective cohort study","volume":"14","author":"Gebreyesus","year":"2023","journal-title":"Front. Pharmacol."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Tadele, T., Astatkie, A., Abay, S.M., Tadesse, B.T., Makonnen, E., and Aklillu, E. (2023). Prevalence and Determinants of Schistosoma mansoni Infection among Pre-School Age Children in Southern Ethiopia. Pathogens, 12.","DOI":"10.3390\/pathogens12070858"},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"864","DOI":"10.1046\/j.1365-3156.2001.00811.x","article-title":"Are poor responses to praziquantel for the treatment of Schistosoma mansoni infections in Senegal due to resistance?","volume":"6","author":"Gryseels","year":"2001","journal-title":"An overview of the evidence. Trop. Med. Int. Health"},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1871","DOI":"10.1007\/s00436-012-3151-z","article-title":"Susceptibility or resistance of praziquantel in human schistosomiasis: A review","volume":"111","author":"Wang","year":"2012","journal-title":"Parasitol. Res."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"King, C.H., Olbrych, S.K., Soon, M., Singer, M.E., Carter, J., and Colley, D.G. (2011). Utility of repeated praziquantel dosing in the treatment of schistosomiasis in high-risk communities in Africa: A systematic review. PLoS Negl. Trop. Dis., 5.","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pntd.0001321"},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"136","DOI":"10.1016\/S1473-3099(21)00090-6","article-title":"Effect of preventive chemotherapy with praziquantel on schistosomiasis among school-aged children in sub-Saharan Africa: A spatiotemporal modelling study","volume":"22","author":"Kokaliaris","year":"2022","journal-title":"Lancet Infect. Dis."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Mnkugwe, R.H., Minzi, O., Kinung\u2019hi, S., Kamuhabwa, A., and Aklillu, E. (2020). Efficacy and safety of praziquantel and dihydroartemisinin piperaquine combination for treatment and control of intestinal schistosomiasis: A randomized, non-inferiority clinical trial. PLoS Negl. Trop. Dis., 14.","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pntd.0008619"},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Kabatende, J., Mugisha, M., Ntirenganya, L., Barry, A., Ruberanziza, E., Mbonigaba, J.B., Bergman, U., Bienvenu, E., and Aklillu, E. (2020). Prevalence, Intensity, and Correlates of Soil-Transmitted Helminth Infections among School Children after a Decade of Preventive Chemotherapy in Western Rwanda. Pathogens, 9.","DOI":"10.3390\/pathogens9121076"},{"key":"ref_23","unstructured":"WHO (2009). World Health Organization: AnthroPlus for Personal Computers Manual: Software for Assessing Growth of the World\u2019s Children and Adolescents, WHO. Available online: http:\/\/www.who.int\/growthref\/tools\/en\/."},{"key":"ref_24","unstructured":"Montresor, A., Crompton, D.W.T., Hall, A., Bundy, D.A.P., and Savioli, L. (2023, September 11). Guidelines for the Evaluation of Soil-Transmitted Helminthiasis and Schistosomiasis at Community Level: A Guide for Managers of Control Programmes. World Health Organization. Available online: https:\/\/apps.who.int\/iris\/bitstream\/handle\/10665\/63821\/WHO_CTD_SIP_98.1.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y."},{"key":"ref_25","unstructured":"World Health Organization (2023, September 11). Basic Laboratory Methods in Medical Parasitology. World Health Organization. Available online: https:\/\/apps.who.int\/iris\/handle\/10665\/40793."},{"key":"ref_26","unstructured":"WHO (2023, September 11). World Health Organization. Schistosomiasis: Progress Report 2001\u20132011, Strategic Plan 2012\u20132020. World Health Organization. Available online: https:\/\/apps.who.int\/iris\/handle\/10665\/78074."},{"key":"ref_27","unstructured":"Ministry of Health (Moh) (2023, June 13). Rwanda\u2019s Neglected Tropical Diseases Strategic Plan 2019\u20132024, Available online: https:\/\/rbc.gov.rw\/fileadmin\/user_upload\/guide2019\/guide2019\/RWANDA%20NTD%20STRATEGIC%20PLAN%202019-2024.pdf."},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"156","DOI":"10.1186\/s13071-015-0766-9","article-title":"The roles of water, sanitation and hygiene in reducing schistosomiasis: A review","volume":"8","author":"Grimes","year":"2015","journal-title":"Parasites Vectors"},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Gebreyesus, T.D., Makonnen, E., Tadele, T., Gashaw, H., Degefe, W., Gerba, H., Tadesse, B.T., Gurumurthy, P., and Aklillu, E. (2022). Safety Surveillance of Mass Praziquantel and Albendazole Co-Administration in School Children from Southern Ethiopia: An Active Cohort Event Monitoring. J. Clin. Med., 11.","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm11216300"},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"909","DOI":"10.1007\/s40264-022-01201-3","article-title":"Safety of Praziquantel and Albendazole Coadministration for the Control and Elimination of Schistosomiasis and Soil-Transmitted Helminths Among Children in Rwanda: An Active Surveillance Study","volume":"45","author":"Kabatende","year":"2022","journal-title":"Drug Saf."},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Minzi, O.M., Mnkugwe, R.H., Ngaimisi, E., Kinung\u2019hi, S., Hansson, A., Pohanka, A., Kamuhabwa, A., and Aklillu, E. (2021). Effect of Dihydroartemisinin-Piperaquine on the Pharmacokinetics of Praziquantel for Treatment of Schistosoma mansoni Infection. Pharmaceuticals, 14.","DOI":"10.3390\/ph14050400"},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"712084","DOI":"10.3389\/fphar.2021.712084","article-title":"Effect of Pharmacogenetics Variations on Praziquantel Plasma Concentrations and Schistosomiasis Treatment Outcomes Among Infected School-Aged Children in Tanzania","volume":"12","author":"Mnkugwe","year":"2021","journal-title":"Front. Pharmacol."},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1446","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-023-28641-w","article-title":"Effect of pharmacogenetic variations on praziquantel plasma concentration and safety outcomes among school children in Rwanda","volume":"13","author":"Barry","year":"2023","journal-title":"Sci. Rep."},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"183","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijpddr.2020.10.003","article-title":"Evaluation of the therapeutic efficacy of praziquantel against schistosomes in seven countries with ongoing large-scale deworming programs","volume":"14","author":"Levecke","year":"2020","journal-title":"Int. J. Parasitol. Drugs Drug Resist."},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e688","DOI":"10.1016\/S2214-109X(17)30187-0","article-title":"Efficacy and safety of praziquantel in preschool-aged and school-aged children infected with Schistosoma mansoni: A randomised controlled, parallel-group, dose-ranging, phase 2 trial","volume":"5","author":"Coulibaly","year":"2017","journal-title":"Lancet Glob. Health"},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"73","DOI":"10.1186\/s40249-018-0448-x","article-title":"Efficacy of praziquantel treatment regimens in pre-school and school aged children infected with schistosomiasis in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review","volume":"7","author":"Kabuyaya","year":"2018","journal-title":"Infect. Dis. Poverty"},{"key":"ref_37","first-page":"65","article-title":"Prevention and control of schistosomiasis: A current perspective","volume":"2014","author":"Inobaya","year":"2014","journal-title":"Res. Rep. Trop. Med."}],"container-title":["Pathogens"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-0817\/12\/9\/1170\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T20:52:30Z","timestamp":1760129550000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-0817\/12\/9\/1170"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2023,9,17]]},"references-count":37,"journal-issue":{"issue":"9","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,9]]}},"alternative-id":["pathogens12091170"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/pathogens12091170","relation":{},"ISSN":["2076-0817"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2076-0817","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2023,9,17]]}}}