Phenotypic evidence of emerging ivermectin resistance in Onchocerca volvulus.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Ivermectin (IVM) has been used in Ghana for over two decades for onchocerciasis control. In recent years there have been reports of persistent microfilaridermias despite multiple treatments. This has necessitated a reexamination of its microfilaricidal and suppressive effects on reproduction in the adult female Onchocerca volvulus. In an initial study, we demonstrated the continued potent microfilaricidal effect of IVM. However, we also found communities in which the skin microfilarial repopulation rates at days 90 and 180 were much higher than expected. In this follow up study we have investigated the reproductive response of female worms to multiple treatments with IVM.

Methods and findings

The parasitological responses to IVM in two hundred and sixty-eight micr

SUBMITTER: Osei-Atweneboana MY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3066159 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature