1 May 2026Oral drugs

Praziquantel Oral: Dosing and Precautions

Praziquantel guidance for schistosomiasis, taeniasis, and several fluke infections, with organism-specific dosing.

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Praziquantel

Prescription under medical supervision

Source reviewed

source date listed on the source page

Guide category

Oral drugs

Safety boundary

Prescription medicine information for clinician-guided use.

Kenza Health Hub presents this medicine page as structured health education. Check dose, route, interactions, pregnancy or breast-feeding considerations, and local protocol with a qualified clinician or pharmacist. Read our medical editorial policy.

This guide page is for structured reference only and does not replace a clinician, pharmacist, or emergency review. Dose choice, route choice, interactions, and safety decisions still need professional judgment.

Therapeutic action

Anthelminthic.

Indications

Urinary and intestinal schistosomiasis caused by S. haematobium, S. mansoni, S. japonicum, S. mekongi, and S. intercalatum.
Taeniasis caused by T. saginata, T. solium, D. latum, and H. nana.
Pulmonary, hepatobiliary, and intestinal fluke infections.

Forms and strengths

600 mg breakable tablet.

Dose and duration

Child 4 years and over and adult.

Schistosomiasis

S. haematobium, S. mansoni, and S. intercalatum: 40 mg/kg single dose or 2 doses of 20 mg/kg administered 4 hours apart.
S. japonicum and S. mekongi: 2 doses of 30 mg/kg or 3 doses of 20 mg/kg administered 4 hours apart.

Taeniasis

T. saginata, T. solium, and D. latum: 5 to 10 mg/kg single dose.
H. nana: 15 to 25 mg/kg single dose.

Fluke infections

Pulmonary and hepatobiliary flukes: 25 mg/kg 3 times daily for 2 days.
Intestinal flukes: 25 mg/kg 3 times daily for 1 day.

Contra-indications, adverse effects, precautions

Do not administer to patients with ocular cysticercosis.
May cause drowsiness, headache, gastrointestinal disturbances, dizziness, allergic reactions, and neurological disorders in patients with undiagnosed neurocysticercosis.
Pregnancy: no contra-indication for treatment of schistosomiasis and taeniasis. For fluke infections, delay treatment until after delivery if immediate treatment is not essential.
Breast-feeding: no contra-indication.
Do not chew the tablets because of their bitter taste. Take during meals.
Praziquantel is not active against Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola gigantica.

Source

MSF Essential drugs practical guidelines (January 2026)

This page combines source-derived medicine reference sections with Kenza editorial context, while leaving out the Storage and Remarks sections from the source batch.

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