Arpraziquantel – A new drug developed to fight neglected tropical disease called Bilharzia

What is Schistosomiasis?

Schistosomiasis, also known as bilharzia, is a disease caused by parasitic worms that live in certain types of freshwater snails.

According to reports, this parasite kills 20,000 people annually in the European union – As per World health organization.

WHAT IS ALPRAIQUANTEL?

Arpraziquantel is the new drug developed against Schistosomiasis.

The new medicine can be given to children aged between three months to six years.

This drug is developed by Germany based pharmaceutical firm Merck.

It is a 150mg tablet in dispersible form

How does the parasite infect humans?

Considered a “neglected tropical disease”, bilharzia parasites enter the body through the skin when people waded, bathed, swam or washed in contaminated water containing certain freshwater snails in which the parasites hatched.Within several weeks, the parasites developed into adult worms that lived in the blood vessels of the body where females produced eggs.

Some eggs then traveled to the bladder or intestine and were passed through urination or stool.Infection can damage the liver, intestines, lungs and bladder and children who were repeatedly infected could develop anaemia (shortage of red blood cells) and learning difficulties.

Rarely, eggs are found in the brain or spinal cord and can cause seizures, paralysis, or spinal cord inflammation.

How does Alpraiquantel work?

Arpraziquantel induced muscular paralysis in the worms, causing them to lose their grip inside veins.