World Ivermectin Day

                                                                        Satoshi Ōmura

 

Ivermectin traces its origins to a soil sample collected in Japan.  

Satoshi Ōmura isolated a previously unknown bacterium, Streptomyces avermitilis (now Streptomyces avermitilis), from the soil. 

The bacterium produced compounds called avermectins, which showed powerful activity against parasitic worms  

 

 

 

Veterinary breakthrough (1981)

Ivermectin was first marketed in 1981 as a veterinary medicine. It proved highly effective against a wide range of internal and external parasites in cattle, horses, sheep, and other animals. It rapidly became one of the most successful veterinary drugs ever developed.

Human medicine (1987)

After successful clinical trials, ivermectin was approved for human use in 1987, particularly to treat:

• River blindness (onchocerciasis)
• Strongyloidiasis
• Scabies
• Head lice
• Lymphatic filariasis (in combination with other medicines in some settings)

 

                                                                          Current Events

July 24th is World Ivermectin Day, a decentralized, bottom-up, citizen-driven movement established by an international coalition of medical professionals, journalists, musicians, and artists. They aim to share the evidence-based message that cheap, safe, and easily distributed medicine - which is already deployed by two dozen countries - can remove the fear of the COVID-19 pandemic to lives and economies. The event was started in 2021 by a team of volunteers, featuring online talks and discussions available to millions. Last year, their content was censored by Youtube because ivermectin is not supported by health authorities for prevention and treatment.

 

 

 

Snapshot