Nitazoxanide in the treatment of patients with intestinal protozoan and helminthic infections: A report on 546 patients in Egypt

Nitazoxanide, a new bro ad-spectrum antiprotozoal/anthelmintic drug, was tested in 546 patients with single or multiple intestinal protozoan and helminthic infections.,After inclusion in the study, patients at least 12 years of age were instructed to take one nitazoxanide 500-mg tablet every 12 hours for 3 consecutive days. The guardians of the children aged 4 to 11 years were instructed to give their children one nitazoxanide 200-mg dispersible tablet every 12 hours for 3 consecutive days. Guardians of children aged 1 to 3 years were instructed to give their children 5 mL of a 100 mg/5 mL suspension every 12 hours for 3 consecutive days. No fasting was required, and the drug was to be administered with food. Based on negative findings on one posttreatment fecal examination performed 4 days after the end of treatment (study day 7), eradication rates of 81\% (127 of 156), 94\% (130 of 139), and 77\% (10 of 13) were recorded for intestinal amebiasis, giardiasis, and balantidiasis, respectively. Nitazoxanide also showed good anthelmintic activity, with eradication rates of 95\% (106 of 112), 95\% (147 of 155), 96\% (44 of 46), 86\% (25 of 29), and 94\% (34 of 36) for enterobiasis, ascariasis, ancylostomiasis caused by Ancyclostoma duodenale, trichuriasis, and strongyloidiasis, respectively. Against the dwarf tapeworm, Hymenolepis nana, nitazoxanide therapy produced an eradication rate of 85\% (53 of 62). Nitazoxanide was well tolerated; 14.5\% of the patients reported minimal side effects, such as nausea, headache, dizziness, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Hematology, clinical chemistry, and urinalysis performed before and after treatment were unaffected by treatment with nitazoxanide.