Effectiveness of albendazole treatment for toxocariasis in children: A cross-sectional study in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Objective: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of albendazole in pediatric toxocariasis. Methods: This interventional study was conducted over a 6-month period, enrolling 117 children aged 3-15 years between 2023 and 2024 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. All patients received oral albendazole at a dosage of 15 mg/kg/day, divided into two daily doses, for five consecutive days. Treatment efficacy was assessed at 6 months based on the following criteria: (1) resolution or marked improvement of clinical symptoms; (2) negative ELISA serology; (3) normalization or significant reduction of eosinophil (EOS) counts to within the normal range; and (4) normalization or significant reduction of total IgE levels. Results: After six months, significant reductions were observed in white blood cell (WBC) count, neutrophil (NEU) count, mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), platelet (PLT) count, EOS count, ELISA optical density (OD), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and creatinine levels (all P