Treatment of Onchocerciasis with ivermectin in Central America.

The success o f ivermectin in controlling transmission of Onchocerca volvulus in Guatemala suggests a broader role for this drug than morbidity control alone. In this article Ed Cupp reviews recent findings from a three-year pilot study in that country which evaluated the effects of recurrent semiannual treatment on several important factors associated with the biology o f river blindness. These results illustrate the range o f beneficial effects that occur not only for this disease but for other parasitisms when this drug is administered at the community level.