Anti-parasitic drug may help fight malaria

New research in Burkina Faso been shown Ivermectin, known for killing roundworms that could cause conditions as severe as elephantiasis and river blindness, could kill or weaken mosquitoes and prevent malaria transmission.

Medical entomologist Brian Foy of Colorado State University showed in laboratory studies the potential of the research and partnered with researcher Roch Dabiré of the Institute of Health Studies in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, to determine the impact of Ivermectin on the disease.

A couple of weeks ago, the developers of Ivermectin won the Nobel Prize for their drug breakthrough and its impact on reducing the transmission of parasite-based tropical illnesses.

In July, the researchers administered a dose of Ivermectin and another medication, albendazole, to the population of eight villages in the country's southwestern town at the start of the trial. They also administered albendazole, to the population, giving the standard combination twice every year for controlling elephantiasis and soil-communicated worms.

In the study, Ivermectin tablets were added every three weeks in four villages, excluding pregnant women and those with higher side effect risks, while the other four villages formed  a control group with no drugs following the initial dose.

In the ongoing trial that will conclude in November, it had been suggested that the drug was already showing impact. In the additional Ivermectin group, 16 per cent fewer cases of malaria were seen among children under the age of 5, the segment at the highest risk from malaria.

 ''We don't think this is any sort of magic bullet, but it adds another arsenal to strategies to control both malaria as well as the other neglected tropical diseases, the worms, the parasitic diseases that are in these villages," techtimes.com quoted Foy.

According to Foy, Ivermectin, even at low levels, was toxic to disease carrying mosquitos. He added, the drug's unique action targeted the mosquito, not the parasite that causes malaria. Researchers in the US and Thailand, therefore, believe Ivermectin might help control transmission of a drug-resistant form of malaria in Southeast Asia.

But Foy remains cautious about claiming Ivermectin held the key to stopping malaria transmission. He said more studies were needed.

''Probably in a much bigger area and probably in different places that have different intensities of malaria transmission, and hopefully really prove that this idea is robust and can be used in many different areas," he said.