Abstract:
The combination of ivermectin and diethylcarbamazine (DEC) have been shown to be superior to either drug alone for the suppression of Brugia malayi in humans, but their efficacy against infection with B. malayi in cats has never been investigated. Fourteen asymptomatic microfilaremic (1-200 microfilariae/20 μl blood) cats received oral doses of ivermectin (400 μg/kg body weight) and DEC (6 mg/kg body weight) as a single treatment. A two-month post-treatment examination revealed that 87-100% of the microfilariae in each subject had been cleared, with two of the subjects being amicrofilaremic. A further reduction in microfilarial levels was observed until the final follow-up, at 8 months post-treatment, when the mean clearance rate was 99% and 12 out of the 14 subjects (86%) were amicrofilaremic. The combination of ivermectin and DEC demonstrated a microfilaricidal effect superior to that of either drug used alone, both in the initial rapid clearance of microfilariae, and in sustaining the effect for 8 months. This finding has important implications for the control of brugian lymphatic filariasis in the cat reservoir.