Helminth Treatment
Treatment of Helminth usually involves the use of anti-worm drugs called vermifuges or vermicides that kill the worms nesting inside the body. These drugs either kill worms immediately (vermicide), or stun them (vermifuge), leading to eventual death. There are some anthelmintics that exist naturally, such as tobacco, wormwood, clove, and plumeria. Despite the existence of over 20 different species of helminthes, there exist a mere 5 drugs devoted to eliminating them; however, these 5 drugs prove effective in most helminth infections. Certain anthelmintic drugs are better at curing certain types of parasitic infections. For example, albendazole is more effective at treating hookworm than its counterparts, mebendazole or pyrantel pamoate. Other parasitic infections, such as T Trichiura, need additional anthelmintics, as current drugs are not effective in providing an adequate cure.
Some scientists are concerned about resistance to anthelmintics, especially in developing countries where people are repeatedly infected with helminths and receive multiple doses of the drugs. The worms build up the resistance gene and pass it on to new eggs, rendering the medicine useless in eliminating the parasite. Doctors usually define resistance as less than 95% reduction of eggs in a stool sample or fecal test.
Already scientists are seeing this resistance build-up in livestock due to frequent and repeated treatments; the same resistance may soon be seen in humans. However, research into developing new anthelmintic drugs is weak due to the lack of funds available. Countries that need and benefit from the drugs are usually impoverished, leading to little scientific development within the drug industry. In response, many clinical trials now include a combination various anthelmintic drugs administered together, so as to lessen resistance to one-drug treatments. New studies indicate that new drugs specific to nematodes have been successful in eliminating resistant parasites in livestock. Continued studies will have to be done to monitor the potential effects in humans.