Individual Efficacy and Community Impact of Ivermectin, Diethylcarbamazine, and Albendazole Mass Drug Administration for Lymphatic Filariasis Control in Fiji: A Cluster Randomized Trial.

Myra Hardy; Josaia Samuela; Mike Kama; Meciusela Tuicakau; Lucia Romani; Margot J Whitfeld; Christopher L King; Gary J Weil; Anneke C Grobler; Leanne J Robinson; John M Kaldor; Andrew C Steer

Journal article

Individual Efficacy and Community Impact of Ivermectin, Diethylcarbamazine, and Albendazole Mass Drug Administration for Lymphatic Filariasis Control in Fiji: A Cluster Randomized Trial.

Myra Hardy, Josaia Samuela, Mike Kama, Meciusela Tuicakau, Lucia Romani, Margot J Whitfeld, Christopher L King, Gary J Weil, Anneke C Grobler, Leanne J Robinson, John M Kaldor, Andrew C Steer

Clin Infect Dis | Published : 2021

DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciab202

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Bancroftian filariasis remains endemic in Fiji despite >10 years of mass drug administration (MDA) using diethylcarbamazine and albendazole (DA). The addition of ivermectin to this combination (IDA) has improved efficacy of microfilarial clearance at 12 months in individually randomized trials in nocturnal transmission settings, but impact in a setting of diurnally subperiodic filarial transmission has not been evaluated. METHODS: This cluster randomized study compared the individual efficacy and community impact of IDA vs DA as MDA for lymphatic filariasis in 35 villages on 2 islands of Fiji. Participants were tested at enrollment for circulating filarial antigen and, if positiv..

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