Alternate Chemotherapy Regimens for the Clearance of W.Bancrofti Infection

Purpose:

Lymphatic dwelling parasite W. bancrofti is the most common cause of secondary lymphoedema. Till today, there is no effective treatment protocol for the complete clearance of W. bancrofti infection, in a short duration of time.

Methods:

The investigators conducted a double blind RCT under field conditions recruiting 146 asymptomatic W. bancrofti infected individuals. Participants were randomly assigned one of the four regimens for 12 days, DEC 300 mg + Doxycycline 100 mg co-administration or DEC 300 mg + Albendazole 400 mg co-administration or DEC 300 mg + Albendazole 400 mg sequential administration or control regimen DEC 300 mg. Participants were followed up at 13, 26 and 52 weeks post-treatment for the clearance of infection.

Inclusion criteria

• Residing in or around Pondicherry and adjoining Tamilnadu areas
• Night blood microfilaria counts > 10 mf/ml by membrane filtration
• No history of treatment for filarial infection for the last two years at least
• Willing for home visits by the staff of the center
• Willing to give written informed consent

Exclusion criteria

• Body weight less than 30 kg
• Hepatic or renal disease as evidenced by clinical or biochemical abnormalities. - concurrent illness like hypertension, diabetes mellitus, cardiac conditions and epilepsy requiring chronic medication
• Psychiatric illness
• Patients under tetracycline or doxycycline therapy
• History of de-worming by albendazole or other anti-helminthic during last one year
• Pregnancy or lactation