Clinical characteristics and response to therapy in Egyptian children heavily infected with Schistosoma mansoni.

Forty-one Egyptian schoolchildren (36 boys and five girls; age, 12-16 years) who were heavily infected with Schistosoma mansoni were studied. Symptomatic subjects had swimmer's itch and hematochezia. Hepatomegaly was found in 39 and splenomegaly in 31 children. All subjects had eosinophilia, 13 had anemia, 31 had elevated levels of serum globulins, and nine had elevated levels of alkaline phosphatase. All but one subject had antibody to hepatitis A virus, and 26 had antibody to hepatitis B core antigen, antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen, or both. Oxamniquine was given in single daily doses of 20 mg/kg of body weight for either two or three days and cured 50% and 85%, respectively, of subjects treated; ova excretion was reduced by 86%-93% for up to 12 months. Morbidity was associated with heavy S. mansoni infection. Therapy with oxamniquine was safe and efficacious.