Lack of efficacy of ivermectin for prevention of a lethal Zika virus infection in a murine system

Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis. 2019 Sep;95(1):38-40. doi: 10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2019.03.012. Epub 2019 Mar 29.

Abstract

The antihelminthic drug ivermectin has been demonstrated to have antiviral activity against the Zika virus and other arboviruses in in vitro studies. The effectiveness of ivermectin for Zika virus infection, however, has never been studied in an animal model. In this study, ivermectin was found to be ineffective for prevention of a lethal infection with the Senegal strain of Zika virus in Ifnar1 knockout mice. In view of several study limitations, evaluation of ivermectin's anti-Zika virus activity in other animal models and against other Zika virus strains would be desirable.

Keywords: Ivermectin; Mouse model; Treatment; Zika virus.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antiviral Agents / pharmacology
  • Chlorocebus aethiops
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Drug Administration Schedule
  • Ivermectin / pharmacology*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Treatment Failure
  • Vero Cells
  • Zika Virus / drug effects*
  • Zika Virus / physiology
  • Zika Virus Infection / pathology*
  • Zika Virus Infection / prevention & control

Substances

  • Antiviral Agents
  • Ivermectin