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USAID

Neglected Tropical Diseases
The NTD Initiative
The Neglected Tropical Diseases Initiative

Onchocerciasis

Treatment

Photo of a bottle of Mectizan tablets.  
   

Currently, the only treatment options that exist to eradicate adult worms are toxic to infected individuals. Instead, onchocerciasis is commonly treated with an oral medicine called ivermectin. Ivermectin does not kill the adult parasites, but it does reduce the numbers of microfilariae in the skin so the disease does not progress. Infected people can be treated once, twice, or three times in a year. Additionally, doxycycline can be added to the treatment regimen to kill endosymbiotic bacteria such as Wolbachia. This adjunct therapy has been shown to significantly lower microfilarial loads in the host and may have activity against the adult worms.

Prevention, Control, and Elimination

On a global level, sustainable mass drug administration of ivermectin is currently the primary control strategy. Merck & Co has established a generous program called the Mectizan Donation Program, to provide free drugs to any governmental or nongovernmental organization that demonstrates the need and the capability to distribute the microfilaricide ivermectin.1

Other programs include the African Program for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC) and the Onchocerciasis Elimination Program for the Americas (OEPA). APOC has been working with neglected tropical diseases since 1995 and is currently assisting countries in Africa outside the original Onchocerciasis Control Program area in establishing sustainable national programs for ivermectin distribution. Similarly, OEPA aims to eliminate clinical onchocerciasis as well as interrupt transmission using a biannual ivermectin treatment to cover 85 percent of the affected communities.

Additional Resources

Learn more about onchocerciasis:



References

  1. Peters DH, Phillips T: Mectizan Donation Program: Evaluation of a public –private partnership. Trop Med Int Health 9:A4, 2004.