Seventy-three asymptomatic bancroftian filariasis patients
with positive microfilaria in their blood films were included.
The patients were randomly divided into 2 groups: ivermectin
group (50 cases) given 2 doses each of 100 ug /kg body weight,
3 months apart, and 23 cases had 2 doses of placebo. The study
was run blindly for one year. The initial mean microfilaria (MF)
count was 111/ml. At 3 months after ivermectin therapy, mean
MF became 7.8/m1 and 24% of ivermectin treated cases had no
detectable MF (P <0.05). At 6, 9 and 12 months, the mean ME
count became 4.1, 6.5 and 11/m1 with amicrofilaria in 54%, 42%
and 40% of treated cases respectively (P <0.05). On the other
hand, no statistically significant change in the mean MF count in
placebo group was detected. The routine laboratory
investigations were unchanged or slightly improved at 3 and 6
months. Side effects after the first dose of ivermectin were mild
fever in 16% and weakness in 20%. None was recorded after the
second dose. Circulating filarial antigens could be detected in
66% of cases before treatment, as all cases with high
rnicrofilaremia had positive antigenemia. The mean antigen
level started to decline significantly after 9 months post
treatment. At the end of the study (one-year), all negative micro |
