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Ivermectin kills mosquitoes that feed on human recipients of the drug. To assess whether mass ivermectin administration can reduce malaria transmission, investigators conducted a trial in Kenya involving household clusters with ≥35 children aged 5−15 years. During a rainy season, 84 clusters were randomly assigned to once-monthly ivermectin or albendazole for 3 consecutive months. During the first 6 months from the initiation of mass drug treatment, children were tested monthly for malaria infection; serious adverse events were documented in the entire population.
Incidence of malaria was 26% lower among children in ivermectin-treated clusters than in albendazole-treated clusters. Likelihood of serious adverse events was low and did not diff…