On ivermectin and parasites (and other things) cover art

On ivermectin and parasites (and other things)

On ivermectin and parasites (and other things)

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 This episode is all about ivermectin - which truly is a wonder drug! A veritable miracle cure.For, ahem, river blindness. And for some other parasitic diseases, like hookworm. Mostly in animals.But in the US, you have likely heard of ivermectin not as a treatment for parasites but for different purposes altogether. There are thousands of videos on YouTube and Instagram extolling ivermectin for viral diseases like Covid, various cancers, and for something called a “parasitic detox,” or a “parasitic cleanse.”Really? This one drug does all that?No. It does not.In this episode of Drug Story, we tell the tale of ivermectin, and what gets all those people on TikTok raving about this drug - what they hope it could be, what they believe it works on.And then, with an open mind, we go to the science – to tease apart the true miracles from the mere fantasies.Source for this episode:[1] Dirt Eaters (2006) NCpedia: Hookworm spreads through skin contact with contaminated soil, with infection linked to poor sanitation and barefoot exposure.[2] What Would It Take to Describe the Global Diversity of Parasites? (2020) Proceedings B (Royal Society): Discussion of parasite diversity and implications for global health.[3] Charles Wardell Stiles (n.d.) The Online Collection and Catalog of Rockefeller Archive Center: Stiles identified hookworm as a widespread cause of disease in the American South and helped initiate national eradication efforts.[4] The Great Hookworm Crusade (1978) Facing South: Exploration of early 20th-century public health campaigns targeting hookworm.[5] The Germ of Laziness: Rockefeller Philanthropy and Public Health in the New South (2007): Analysis of the Rockefeller Sanitary Commission’s hookworm eradication campaign and its role in shaping public health systems.[6] How a Worm Gave the South a Bad Name (2016) NOVA (PBS): Hookworm caused anemia, fatigue, and cognitive impairment, contributing to stereotypes of laziness in the American South[7] Lessons Learned (2016) Vanderbilt University: Hookworm campaigns demonstrated the importance of sanitation, education, and coordinated public health infrastructure.[8] Public Health: How the Fight Against Hookworm Helped Build a System (2020) REsource: Early hookworm eradication efforts contributed to the formation of organized public health systems in the U.S.[8] Dr. Abbott Assails “Freedom” League (1910) The New York Times: Physicians publicly criticized groups opposing national health initiatives during early 20th-century reforms.[10] America’s Deadly Flirtation with Antiscience and the Medical Freedom Movement (2021) Journal of Clinical Investigation: Historical medical freedom movements mirror modern resistance to public health guidance.[11] The Hookworm Blues: We Still Got ’Em (2017) American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene: Hookworm infection remains present in parts of the U.S., particularly in areas with inadequate sanitation and persistent poverty.[12] The American Murderer (2023) Bunk History: Hookworm campaigns in the U.S. South prioritized poor white populations to address labor productivity and regional stigma, while excluding Black communities from interventions.[13] The Debate Is On: To Deworm Or Not To Deworm? (2015) NPR Goats and Soda: Mass deworming programs reduce worm infections and may improve school attendance, though evidence on long-term health and economic benefits remains debated.[14] Hookworm Persists in U.S. Despite Belief That It Was Wiped Out (2017) NPR: Ongoing hookworm cases in Alabama are linked to failing wastewater systems and persistent poverty.[15] Nobel laureate William Campbell describes developing a new drug to Cornell audience (2016) Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine: Overview of the discovery of ivermectin and its development as a breakthrough antiparasitic drug.[16] Progress and Impact of 13 Years of the Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (2014) PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases: Mass drug administration programs using ivermectin significantly reduced transmission of filarial diseases worldwide.[17] The Discovery of Ivermectin: A Crapshoot or Not (2007) Cambridge University Press: Ivermectin originated from screening soil microbes, with discovery driven by trial-and-error experimentation.[18] The Life and Times of Ivermectin — A Success Story (2004) Nature Reviews Microbiology: Ivermectin disrupts parasite nerve and muscle function, supporting mass drug administration campaigns that significantly reduced global parasitic disease burden.[19] Two Elite Medical Journals Retract Coronavirus Papers (2020) Science: Retractions of major COVID-19 studies exposed weaknesses in peer review and data verification.[20] Medical Liberty and Drugless Healers Confront Allopathic Doctors (1910–1931) (2008) Journal of Medical Humanities: Early 20th-century conflicts between alternative practitioners and mainstream medicine centered on regulation and authority.[21] ...
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