Oral Ivermectin as a Therapeutic Agent in Patients with Scabies

Objective: To evaluate oral Ivermectin as a therapeutic agent to ordinary scabies. Methodology: Random sample of 50 cases of ordinary scabies was treated with two oral doses of Ivermectin, 200 mu g/kg one week apart. The effect of the drug was monitored clinically, by complete blood count, and confirmed parasitologically at the time of clinical presentation and at week 4 of starting treatment. ELISA and Immunobloting using Sarcoptes scabiei crude mite extract were applied to determine the levels of specific IgG and IgE in patients' sera in comparison with 50 controls. Results: The reported cure rate was 100%. However, 8% cases continued to have persistent itching, accompanying eosionophilia and high IgE levels. Conclusion: Ivermectin proved to be effective and promising drug for treatment of ordinary scabies.