praziquantel
Praziquantel is a medicine used to treat parasitic worm infections.
Parasites
Parasites are microscopic organisms. They can live inside or on a host, such as the human body. A parasite is an organism that gets a benefit like food or shelter from its host, without giving anything back to the host. Parasites can be single-celled eukaryotes, fungi, plant or animals.
Examples:
Plasmodium falciparum (single-celled eukaryote) - causes malaria
Dermatophytes (fungi) - causes dermatophytosis (ringworm and athletes foot)
Viscum album (plant) - commonly known as mistletoe
Pediculus humanus capitis (animal) - commonly known as head louse (plural; lice)
Helminthiasis
Helmithiasis is the word for any condition where there is a parasitic worm infection. The worms are called helminths and can be a range of different worms including tapeworms, whipworms, hookworms, flukes and roundworms.
Organisms infected with helmithiasis excrete the eggs of helminths in their faeces. This contaminates soil, and other organisms become infected either through skin infections or ingesting eggs or larvae from contaminated food.
Helmithiasis can cause a range of problems for people and other animals, including malnutrition, cognitive problems, intestinal obstruction. It can be deadly. They are particularly problematic for children, in whom physical and cognitive development can be slowed as a result of infection.
Praziquantel helps to kill the parasitic worms and remove them from the body. It is known as an antihelminthic.
Scientists are still not 100% sure how praziquantel works but it can be used to treat a number of different parasitic worm infections including tapeworms in the genus Echinococcus.
Did you know: Praziquantel is also used to treat parasitic worm infections in other animals including cats and dogs!