Effect of ivermectin on experimental gnathostomiasis in rabbits.

The efficacy of ivermectin against advanced third stage larvae of Gnathostoma spinigerum was investigated in rabbits. Six experimentally infected rabbits were treated at a single dose, 0.2 mg/kg of ivermectin subcutaneously, four weeks after infection. Another two rabbits were treated, once and three times, with 2 mg/kg at varying numbers of days after infection. Five rabbits served as untreated controls. All rabbits were sacrificed about the 28th week after infection. The reductions of worm load in the treated groups were 74.2% and 84.2% respectively. The immune response, detected by ELISA, was similar in treated and control rabbits.