Evaluating Impact of Improved Floors on Health
Diarrhoeal DiseaseHookworm Infection3 moreThe goal of this intervention study is to learn about the impact of household flooring on health in rural Kenya, and test whether providing an improved (cement stabilised, washable) floor improves the health of children and their care providers. The main questions the study aims to answer are: What is the effect of providing a sealed, washable floor on the prevalence of infections that cause diarrhoea, intestinal worms and sand flea infections? To what extent does the intervention reduce contamination of floors with pathogens within the home? What is its effect of the intervention on the wellbeing of caregivers and children? Over the course of a year, do the new floors remain undamaged, with no cracks? Do participants living with the new floors, and the masons that helped to install the floors, like them and feel they are practical and affordable? The study will involve a trial, where half of the recruited households will be randomly chosen to receive the new floor in addition to some support on how to care for the floor and keep it clean. The other half of households will not receive anything at first, but at the end of the research project will also receive a new floor. Before the new floors are installed, the investigators will make several assessments in all study households. These will include a survey to measure household characteristics; a stool survey, to measure how many people are infected with diarrhoea-causing microorganisms and parasitic worms; a jigger flea examination among children; wellbeing assessments among children and caregivers; and soil sampling to identify microorganisms on the floor of the household. When households receive the new floor, participants will have to move out of their house for up to 7 days during installation. Participants will also be asked to attend some group meetings to discuss ways of taking care of the floor and keeping it clean. Assessments will be repeated 12 months after the floor has been delivered, and additional interviews will be held with a small number of randomly selected participants. Throughout the 12 months following delivery of the intervention, investigators will make unannounced visits to households to check the condition of the floor. Participants will also be offered treatment for parasitic worm infections after assessments have been completed at the start and end of the project.
Experimental Infection of Hookworm-naïve Adults With Dermally-applied Infectious Necator Americanus...
Hookworm InfectionAn experimental hookworm infection model is being developed to provide early proof-of-concept that a hookworm vaccine targeting the blood-feeding pathway of adult hookworms is feasible and efficacious. The proposed model consists of vaccinating healthy, hookworm-naïve adults with a candidate hookworm vaccine, followed by challenging them with the investigational product, Necator americanus Larval Inoculum to assess the effect of vaccination on infection. The first proposed study will be a feasibility study that will consist of administering different doses of the Necator americanus Larval Inoculum to healthy adult volunteers to determine the optimal dose (i.e., number of infectious larvae) that is safe, well-tolerated and results in consistent infection.
Efficacy of Na-GST-1/Alhydrogel Hookworm Vaccine Assessed by Controlled Challenge Infection
Hookworm InfectionsThis study evaluates the efficacy, safety and immunogenicity of different formulations of the Na-GST-1 hookworm vaccine using a controlled human hookworm infection model in healthy, hookworm-naive adults.
Efficacy and Safety of a Multi-dose Regimen of Mebendazole Against Hookworm in Children
HookwormThis study is a double-blind randomized clinical trial which aims at providing evidence on the efficacy and safety of two regimens of mebendazole in school-aged children. Thus, our primary objective is to assess the efficacy and safety of: i) 100 mg solid tablets twice a day for 3 days, and ii) one dose of 500 mg solid tablets of mebendazole in participants aged 6-12, inclusive, infected with hookworm. The primary endpoint of the trial is the cure rate (CR) of the 3-day regimen of mebendazole against hookworm and a single dose mebendazole treatment. The secondary objectives are to determine if the multi-dose regimen is superior to the single dose regimen, evaluate the efficacy against concomitant soil-transmitted helminth infections, and assess the safety of both mebendazole regimens. After obtaining informed consent from children's caregiver, the medical history of the participating individuals will be assessed with a standardized questionnaire, in addition to a clinical examination carried out by the study physician on the treatment day. Enrollment will be based on two stool samples which will be collected, if possible, on two consecutive days or otherwise within a maximum of 5 days apart. All stool samples will be examined with duplicated Kato-Katz thick smears by experienced laboratory technicians. Randomization of participants into the two treatment arms will be stratified according to intensity of infection. Participants will be interviewed before treatment for clinical symptoms and 3 hours after every morning treatment and 24 hours after every morning treatment about the occurrence of adverse events. The efficacy of the treatment will be determined 14-21 days post-treatment by collecting another two stool samples. The primary analysis will include all participants with primary end point data (available case analysis). Supplementary, two sensitivity analyses will be conducted imputing all missing endpoint data as treatment failures or all as treatment success. CRs will be calculated as the percentage of egg-positive participants at baseline who become egg-negative after treatment. CRs will be compared by using unadjusted logistic regression. To assess model robustness with respect to covariates, adjusted logistic regressions (adjustment for age, sex, school, weight and strata) will be performed. Geometric and arithmetic mean egg counts will be calculated for the different treatment arms before and after treatment to assess the corresponding ERRs. Bootstrap resampling method with 5,000 replicates will be used to calculate 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for ERRs and the difference of the ERRs.
Efficacy and Safety of MOX/ALB Co-administration
TrichuriasisAscariasis1 moreThis study is a double-blind randomized controlled superiority trial aiming at providing evidence on the efficacy and safety of co-administered moxidectin and albendazole versus albendazole monotherapy (standard of care) against whipworm (T. trichiura) infections in adolescents and adults (12-60 years) in Côte d'Ivoire. One arm of patients will be treated with albendazole-ivermectin. As measure of efficacy of the treatment the cure rate (percentage of egg-positive subjects at baseline who become egg-negative after treatment) will be determined 14-21 days post-treatment.
Efficacy and Safety of Emodepside in Adults Infected With Trichuris Trichiura and Hookworm
Trichuris Trichiura; InfectionHookworm InfectionsThe rationale of the study is to provide evidence on the efficacy and safety of Emodepside in adults infected with Trichuris trichiura and hookworm.
Randomised Placebo Controlled Study of Effects of Therapeutic Hookworm Infection in Asthma
AsthmaThere has been considerable debate over the last 30 years about the interaction between asthma and parasitic infection. It has been suggested that at least part of the reason for the increasing prevalence of asthma in the developed world is a decrease in parasite infections resulting from improved living conditions with economic development. Our previous studies in Ethiopia suggest that hookworm infection may be particularly important in this process. To establish definitively whether parasites can protect against allergic disease, and specifically asthma, ultimately requires a randomised clinical trial of parasite infection in patients with asthma. We, the researchers at the University of Nottingham, have completed a study in normal volunteers to establish the dose of hookworms necessary to generate infection at the level shown to be protective in population surveys, and shown that infection is well tolerated. In addition, we have recently completed a randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial of hookworm infection in allergic patients with rhinitis which showed that there was no negative effect on bronchial responsiveness during the phase in the lifecycle where the hookworm larvae migrate through the lungs. Consequently, are now proceeding with the definitive randomized placebo-controlled trial of hookworm infection in people with asthma. This study will also provide us with the opportunity to investigate the cellular mechanisms of the effect of hookworm infection on the immune system.
Albendazole Dose Finding and Pharmacokinetics in Children and Adults
TrichuriasisHookworm InfectionsThis study is a single-blind randomized clinical trial conducted in rural Côte d'Ivoire. This study aims at providing evidence on the dose-response of increasing oral albendazole dosages against whipworm (T. trichiura) and hookworm infections in preschoolers (2-5 years), school-aged children (6-12 years) and adults (≥ 21 years). The primary objective is to determine cure rates (primary end point, i.e. conversion from being egg positive pre-treatment to egg negative post-treatment). Secondary objectives involve the determination of egg reduction rates (the reduction in the number of excreted eggs from baseline (prior to treatment) to follow-up) and the assessment of safety of ascending dosages of albendazole (secondary end points). In addition, key pharmacokinetic parameters will be determined from blood samples collected with a micro-sampling device (secondary end point).
Triple Combinations Against Hookworm Infections in Lao
Hookworm InfectionMore than one billion people are infected with soil-transmitted helminths (STH, A. lumbricoides, hookworm or Trichuris trichiura). Preventive chemotherapy - i.e. annual or biannual treatment of at-risk populations with albendazole or mebendazole is the current strategy against STH. However, the efficacy of both drugs is only moderate against hookworm and low against T. trichiura. For increasing the efficacy and to avoid drug resistance, new drugs or the combination of different drugs is the way forward. In this randomised controlled trial, we assess the efficacy (based on cure rates) of different drug combinations in school-aged children in Lao. 420 hookworm positive children will be treated: 140 with albendazole-oxantel pamoate, 140 with albendazole-pyrantel pamoate-oxantel pamoate treatment arms, 70 with pyrantel pamoate-oxantel pamoate and 70 with mebendazole-pyrantel pamoate-oxantel pamoate. Two stool samples will be collected at baseline and follow-up (14-21 days after treatment) and analysed with Kato-Katz.
Hookworm Therapy for Coeliac Disease
Celiac DiseaseThis trial is a Phase 1b multicentre, multinational, randomized, double-blind with single-blind arm and open label extension phase, placebo controlled, clinical trial evaluating the safety and predictability of an escalating gluten consumption to activate Coeliac Disease (CeD) in (a) a small cohort of people with diet-managed CeD treated with a placebo (n=10), and in (b) cohorts following low (L3-10; n=40) and medium (L3-20; n=10) dose hookworm inocula. The investigators 4 aims for the study are: Aim 1: Undertake a multiple-phase and escalating gluten challenge assessing safety to gluten exposure in hookworm-naïve and hookworm-infected people with CeD. Aim 2: This phase Ib study recognizes that the evidence supporting this novel intervention is rudimentary and addresses amongst others the following questions: (a) The importance of L3 dose on Participant health, and (b) the importance of L3 dose on the safety of escalating gluten challenge and (c) the need for a comparator group should a phase II trial be warranted. Aim 3: Examine the changes in intestinal T cell responses induced by hookworm infection and gluten exposure. Aim 4: Assess the impact of hookworm infection and purified hookworm-derived proteins on gluten peptide-specific immune responses ex vivo.