Common antiparasitic effective in curbing malaria in children

Repeated doses of a commonly used antiparasitic can help cut down on malaria cases in children. Ivermectin is used to treat roundworm and other parasitic infections, but recent trials have been exploring using the drug against malaria. In a new study, roughly 600 children in Burkina Faso were divided into two groups: One group received the drug six times over 18 weeks, and another group received a single treatment of ivermectin and another antiparasitic. Children who got the multiple treatments had fewer malaria episodes on average and were twice as likely not to contract the disease as those who got the one combination dose. The authors write that further studies are needed to examine how ivermectin acts on the malaria-causing parasite.