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Diethylcarbamazine

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Diethylcarbamazine

  • See Also
  1. Helminth
  • Indications
  1. Lymphatic Filariasis
    1. Treat coinfection with Onchocerca Volvulus (River Blindness) first with Ivermectin or Moxidectin
    2. Avoid when concurrent infection with Loa Loa with blood concentration >2500 microfilaria/ml
  2. Loa loa with concentration <2500 microfilaria/ml
  3. Visceral Larva Migrans
  4. Tropical pulmonary Eosinophilia
  • Contraindications
  1. Onchocerca Volvulus (River Blindness)
    1. Risk of Mazzotti reaction (severe response associated with Parasite death)
  2. Loa Loa with blood concentration >2500 microfilaria/ml
    1. Risk of severe encephalopathy
  • Mechanism
  1. Facilitates Phagocytosis of microfilaria
  • Dosing
  1. See Lymphatic Filariasis for dosing protocol in coinfections (Onchocerca Volvulus, Loa loa)
  2. Tropical pulmonary Eosinophilia
    1. DEC 6 mg/kg/day divided 2-3x/day for 21 days
  3. Loa loa with blood concentration >2500 microfilaria/ml
    1. Diethylcarbamazine (DEC) 9 mg/kg divided three times daily orally for 21 days
  4. Lymphatic Filariasis if no coinfections (monoinfection)
    1. Treat Diethylcarbamazine (DEC) 6 mg/kg orally once AND
    2. Doxycycline 200 mg/day for 6 weeks
  • Adverse Effects
  1. Common
    1. Fever
    2. Headache
    3. Myalgias
    4. Rash
  2. Serious
    1. Mazzotti reaction
      1. Severe response associated with Parasite death
  • References
  1. Gladwin, Trattler and Mahan (2014) Clinical Microbiology, Medmaster, Fl, p. 367
  2. Freedman (2024) Sanford Guide, accessed on IOS 8/4/2025