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MINI REVIEW article
Front. Parasitol.
Sec. Antiparasitic Drugs and Drug Resistance
Volume 3 - 2024 |
doi: 10.3389/fpara.2024.1471451
Praziquantel Resistance in Schistosomes: A Brief Report
Provisionally accepted- 1 Liberty University, Lynchburg, United States
- 2 Ferrum College, Ferrum, Virginia, United States
Schistosomiasis is a group of both acute and chronic parasitic trematode infections of the genus Schistosoma. Research into schistosomiasis has been minimal, leading to its classification as a neglected tropical disease, yet more than 140 million people are infected with schistosomes globally. There are no treatments available for early-stage infections, schistosomal dermatitis, or Katayama syndrome, other than symptomatic control with steroids and antihistamines, as the maturing organisms seem to be mostly resistant to typical antiparasitics. However, praziquantel (PZQ) has been the drug of choice for schistosomiasis for decades in the latter stages of the disease. Though it is effective against all three clinically relevant species, heavy reliance on PZQ has led to concerns of schistosome resistance, especially in areas that have implemented this drug in mass drug administration (MDA) programs. This article summarizes the available literature concerning the available evidence for and against a warranted concern for PZQ resistance, genomic studies in schistosomes, proposed mechanisms of resistance, and future research in alternative methods of schistosomiasis treatment.
Keywords: Schistosomiasis, Praziquantel, Resistance, efficacy, Mass drug administration
Received: 27 Jul 2024; Accepted: 10 Sep 2024.
Copyright: © 2024 Eastham, Fausnacht, Becker, Gillen and Moore. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
William Moore, Liberty University, Lynchburg, United States
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