The role of albendazole in programmes to eliminate lymphatic filariasis

Citing earlier advances in the treatment of lymphatic filariasis [particularly the effcectiveness of single-dose diethylcarbamazine (DEC) in reducing microfilaraemia and its enhanced effectiveness when co-administered with single-dose ivermectin], Eric Ottesen; Mahroof Ismail and John Horton consider recent studies on the antifilarial activity of albendazole that have led to the current recommendations for ifs use in single-dose regimens in conjunction with either DEC or ivermectin for large-scale control/elimination programmes. Furthermore, the potential of albendazole as a macrofilaricide for treating individual patients with lymphatic filarial infections is emphasized as one of a number of important research questions that remain to be explored.