Seventy-three asympthmatic 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 MF count became 4.1,6.5 and 11/m1 with amicrofilaria in 54%, 42% and 48% 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 mi ld fever in 16% and weakness in 20%. None wasrecorded after the second dose. Circulating filarial antigens could be detected in 66% of cases before treatment, as all cases with high microfilaremia had positive antigenemia. |
