Comparative trials using albendazole and mebendazole in the treatment of soil-transmitted helminths in schoolchildren on Penang, Malaysia

Trials using albendazole and mebendazole, as single 400 mg dose treatments, against soil-transmitted helminths, were carried out in 7-9 and 10-12 years-old schoolchildren living in urban and rural environments in Penang, Malaysia. Both drugs were equally effective in treating trichuriasis and ascariasis in both age groups and environments. However, mebendazole is not so effective in the treatment for hookworms when compared to albendazole. It is suggested that albendazole should be considered the drug of choice for mass chemotherapy for Penang.