Effectiveness of annual ivermectin treatment for Wuchereria bancrofti infection.
Using estimates for the anthelmintic efficacy of a single dose of ivermectin in the treatment of lymphatic filariasis patients, Anton Plaisier, Wilma Stolk, Gerrit van Oortmarssen and Dik Habbema here present and discuss model predictions of the impact of a five-year programme of annual community treatment on the intensity of infection. They show that the effectiveness of such programmes in terms of reductions in the microfilarial density depends critically on the treatment coverage and the pattern of attendance at repeated mass administrations. Improving these factors will possibly be more important than improving the efficacy of ivermectin by increasing its dosage or by adding other drugs.
Plaisier
A P
AP
Centre for Decision Sciences in Tropical Disease Control, Department of Public Health, Medical Faculty, Erasmus University Rotterdam, PO Box 1738, 3000 DR Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Stolk
W A
WA
van Oortmarssen
G J
GJ
Habbema
J D
JD
D000818:Animals; D004605:Elephantiasis, Filarial / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000469:parasitology; D005369:Filaricides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007559:Ivermectin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008954:Models, Biological; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014958:Wuchereria bancrofti
D005369:Filaricides; D007559:Ivermectin