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Short communication: Impact of long‐term (14 years) bi‐annual ivermectin treatment on Wuchereria bancrofti microfilaraemia
Author(s) -
Kyelem D.,
Medlock J.,
Sanou S.,
Bonkoungou M.,
Boatin B.,
Molyneux D. H.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
tropical medicine and international health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.056
H-Index - 114
eISSN - 1365-3156
pISSN - 1360-2276
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-3156.2005.01489.x
Subject(s) - ivermectin , wuchereria bancrofti , onchocerciasis , lymphatic filariasis , filariasis , microfilaria , loa loa , onchocerca volvulus , helminthiasis , population , diethylcarbamazine , biology , helminths , veterinary medicine , medicine , immunology , environmental health
Summary Ivermectin has been and continues to be extensively used to control onchocerciasis in areas of hyper and mesoendemicity within the African Programme of Onchocerciasis Control. As programmes to eliminate lymphatic filariasis (LF) caused by Wuchereria bancrofti expand, areas of coendemicity with onchocerciasis will be incorporated into LF programmes. This study reports that in villages which were hyperendemic for onchocerciasis after some 14 years of treatment with ivermectin, no W. bancrofti could be detected in a population of 1210 individuals whilst in adjacent villages a prevalence of around 3% was found. Despite the long period of ivermectin treatment Mansonella perstans did not appear to respond to ivermectin in this setting.