Clinical Efficacy and Safety of Albendazole and Other Benzimidazole Anthelmintics for Rat Lungworm Disease (Neuroangiostrongyliasis): A Systematic Analysis of Clinical Reports and Animal Studies

Jacob, J. and Steel, A. and Lin, Z. and Berger, F. and Zöeller, K. and Jarvi, S.

Clin Infect Dis (2021) :

DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciab730

Abstract

The safety and efficacy of benzimidazole anthelmintics for the management of rat lungworm disease (neuroangiostrongyliasis) have been questioned regardless of the numerous global experimental animal studies and clinical reports. In this review, 40 of these experimental animal studies and 104 clinical reports are compiled with a focus on albendazole. Among the 144 articles involving an estimated 1034 patients and 2,561 animals, 4.1% were inconclusive or vague regarding the use of benzimidazoles. Of the remaining 138 articles, 90.5% found benzimidazoles to be safe and effective (885 patients; 2,530 animals), 4.3% as safe but ineffective (73 patients; 3 animals), and 5.0% caused adverse reactions (7 patients; 28 animals). Among the clinical reports with a confirmed diagnosis of neuroangiostrongyliasis in which albendazole monotherapy was used, 100% reported high efficacy (743 patients; 479 animals), and in those where albendazole-corticosteroid co-therapy was used, 97.87% were reported to be effective (323 patients; 130 animals).

Citation

Jacob, J., Steel, A., Lin, Z., Berger, F., Zöeller, K., & Jarvi, S. (2021). Clinical Efficacy and Safety of Albendazole and Other Benzimidazole Anthelmintics for Rat Lungworm Disease (Neuroangiostrongyliasis): A Systematic Analysis of Clinical Reports and Animal Studies. Clin Infect Dis. https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciab730 anthelmintics, antiparasitic, albendazole, neuroangiostrongyliasis, rat lungworm

Keywords

• anthelmintics
• antiparasitic
• albendazole
• neuroangiostrongyliasis
• rat lungworm