Observations on mebendazole vs. thiabendazole in the treatment of human trichinellosis

Six patients with acute trichinellosis were studied. Three patients were treated with mebendazole and the other three with thiabendazole. Both drugs were given at a daily dose of 50 mg per kg body weight for seven consecutive days. No substantial differences were evident in the efficacy of the two drugs when symptoms, clinical findings, and laboratory data were followed for three months. However, mebendazole was better tolerated than thiabendazole. The diagnosis was based on epidemiological data and positive antibody tests. In two cases, diagnosis was confirmed by isolation of trichinella larvae from 10 ml blood samples filtered through polycarbonate membranes.