Chemotherapeutic Approach to Control of Onchocerciasis

current drug of choice, and that ivermectin causes a more prolonged reduction in dermal microfilarial density. Patients treated with ivermectin are unable to infect the blackfly vector as long as the dermal microfilarial density remains low; therefore, once- or twiceyearly administration of ivermectin in community-wide therapy programs, either alone or in combination with vector control measures, may successfully interrupt transmission of the parasite and eventually eliminate the disease.