Hypochlorous Acid: A Novel Agent Against Echinococcus granulosus Protoscoleces

We aimed to determine the scolicidal effect of hypochlorous acid and its efficiency at different concentrations. We tested the effectiveness of hypochlorous acid in-vitro on sterile gauze at different concentrations in test tubes. In addition, we compared its effectiveness with the scolicidal activity of other agents, povidone-iodine 10% and chlorhexidine-gluconate 0.04%. Hypochlorous acid was 100% effective in 5 minutes at 1/1 (200 ppm/mL), 1/10 (20 ppm/ml), and 1/100 (2 ppm/mL) concentrations and in 10 minutes at 1/1000 (0.2 ppm/mL) concentration. Povidone-iodine 10%, and chlorhexidine-gluconate 0.04% were studied undiluted and were effective at all study times. Hypochlorous acid maintained the same scolicidal activity on gauze at all study times at the described dilutions. Hypochlorous acid is an effective scolicidal agent in 5 minutes at even 1/100 concentrations. In addition, it maintains the same scolicidal activity on gauze used in surgery to wall the surgical site.