Depletion of wolbachia endobacteria in Onchocerca volvulus by doxycycline and microfilaridermia after ivermectin treatment.

摘要: Ivermectin is the drug used for mass chemotherapy of onchocerciasis within WHO African Programme Onchocerciasis Control. This approach aims to eliminate disease as a public health problem but using one dose per year may not completely interrupt transmission since it does suppress microfilaridermia thoroughly enough. Here we show that additional treatment with doxycycline, previously shown sterilise adult female worms few months by depletion symbiotic wolbachia endobacteria, significantly enhances ivermectin-induced suppression microfilaridermia, rendering anti-wolbachia promising basis blocking drug-based approach.