A breakthrough pill may be the key to fighting malaria. A massive study found that giving mass doses of ivermectin, an antiparasitic drug, reduced malaria cases by 26%. The pill works surprisingly well, making human blood toxic to mosquitoes and killing them after a bite. This approach could complement traditional tools like bed nets, which have lost effectiveness due to mosquito resistance.
Ivermectin has shown promise in reducing malaria transmission when given to entire communities. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found a 26% drop in new malaria infections even when standard tools like bed nets were already in use. The results highlight ivermectin’s potential as an added layer of protection in malaria prevention.
Malaria remains a major global health issue, with 263 million cases and 597,000 deaths recorded in 2023. Existing prevention tools are becoming less effective due to mosquito resistance. Ivermectin may offer a new approach to stop the disease, especially in areas where standard methods are no longer reliable.
The BOHEMIA project tested this idea through two large-scale Mass Drug Administration trials in Kenya and Mozambique. The program involved giving a single monthly dose of ivermectin (400 mcg/kg) over three months at the start of the rainy season. In Kenya, children who received ivermectin experienced a 26% reduction in malaria infection incidence compared to those who received albendazole.
The safety profile of ivermectin was favorable, with no severe drug-related adverse events and only mild, transient side effects. The study’s findings have been reviewed by the WHO vector control advisory group, which concluded that the study had demonstrated impact and recommended further studies.
Source: https://scitechdaily.com/a-pill-that-makes-your-blood-deadly-to-mosquitoes-its-real-and-it-works