Anthelmintic

An anthelmintic is a drug that kills parasitic worms or expels them from an infected host.

Benzimidazole: A drug class that disrupts microtubule formation by binding parasite β-tubulin. Albendazole and mebendazole use this mechanism to impair worm nutrient uptake and survival.
Soil-transmitted helminthiasis: Intestinal infection with parasitic worms transmitted through contaminated soil. Mass drug administration commonly targets these infections with albendazole or mebendazole.
Antiprotozoal: A drug that treats infections caused by protozoa, rather than parasitic worms. The distinction separates anthelmintics from drugs aimed at single-celled parasites.
Anthelmintic resistance: The inherited ability of parasites to survive drug doses that once controlled them. Repeated use can select resistant worms and undermine treatment or control programs.
Macrocyclic lactone: A drug class that includes ivermectin and disrupts invertebrate nerve and muscle signaling. These drugs paralyze susceptible worms through glutamate-gated chloride channels.
Lymphatic filariasis: A mosquito-borne disease caused by filarial nematodes that can damage lymphatic vessels. Its control uses combinations of anthelmintics chosen according to local co-infections.
Antifungal: A drug that treats infections caused by fungi. Its targets are fungal cells, not helminths or other parasites.
Mass drug administration: The delivery of medicines to an entire at-risk population without individual diagnosis. Anthelmintics can lower worm burdens at population scale, especially in endemic areas.
Praziquantel: An antiparasitic drug that disrupts calcium regulation in many flukes and tapeworms. It causes rapid contraction and tegument damage in susceptible flatworms.
Onchocerciasis: A disease caused by the filarial worm Onchocerca volvulus and transmitted by blackflies. Repeated ivermectin treatment reduces microfilariae and limits eye and skin disease.

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