Loading...
Conventional antifilarial agents have shown limited effectiveness in treating Mansonella perstans infections. Recent work suggests that doxycycline is active against some species of filarial worms that harbor the endosymbiont Wolbachia (e.g., Onchocerca volvulus, Wuchereria bancrofti). Might it also have activity against M. perstans, in which Wolbachia was recently identified?
To find out, investigators conducted an open-label, randomized trial in Mali among villagers infected with M. perstans. The 216 participants received doxycycline (200 mg/day for 6 weeks) or no therapy. Microfilarial blood levels were determined at 6, 12, and 36 months after treatment.
At 12 months, 97% of doxycycline-group patients had no detectable M. perstans microfil…