Mass drug treatment for lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis

Molyneux, David ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8537-7947, Bradley, Mark, Hoerauf, Achim, Kyelem, D. and Taylor, Mark ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3396-9275 (2003) 'Mass drug treatment for lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis'. Trends in Parasitology, Vol 19, Issue 11, pp. 516-522.

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Abstract

This review summarizes the progress towards control of lymphatic filariasis (LF) and onchocerciasis, focussing on the impact of mass drug administration (MDA) programmes, in particular those that have developed following the donation of ivermectin and albendazole. The contrasting strategies and objectives of the different programmes are compared, and the impact on transmission, clinical disease and public health assessed. The constraints on programme success are: (i) the absence of a macrofilaricide, which can be used in a public health context; (ii) the sustainability of high coverage of ivermectin over many years in onchocerciasis control; and (iii) the problem of treatment in areas where Loa loa (tropical eye worm) is co-endemic with onchocerciasis because of the rare severe adverse events. LF programmes are expanding rapidly in over 30 countries, where circa 60 million people received treatments in 2002. No serious adverse events have been associated with MDAs for LF elimination. Research on new approaches to treatment using antibiotics are showing promising results in pilot settings because doxycyline has been shown to have long-term embryostatic effects and sustained reductions of microfilaria loads in onchocerciasis and bancroftian filariasis.

Item Type:	Article
Subjects:	WA Public Health > Preventive Medicine > WA 110 Prevention and control of communicable diseases. Transmission of infectious diseases WC Communicable Diseases > Tropical and Parasitic Diseases > WC 880 Filariasis and related conditions (General) WC Communicable Diseases > Tropical and Parasitic Diseases > WC 885 Onchocerciasis
Faculty: Department:	Groups (2002 - 2012) > Disease Control Strategy Group Groups (2002 - 2012) > Molecular & Biochemical Parasitology Group
Digital Object Identifer (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pt.2003.09.004
Depositing User:	Ms Julia Martin
Date Deposited:	12 Jul 2012 11:31
Last Modified:	17 Jul 2020 10:57
URI:	https://archive.lstmed.ac.uk/id/eprint/2621

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