Source: Ozayr Patel, The Conversation 5 February 2021: photo credit: SABC News/Reuters
Ivermectin has become one of the most talked about drugs in the world. A highly effective treatment for fighting parasites in animals, it was later also shown to be effective in humans. In 2015 the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was given to William Campbell and Satoshi Ōmura for discovering its use against infections caused by roundworm parasites.
Interest in the drug has spiked following laboratory evidence that it has an active ingredient that acts against the COVID-19 virus.
Distribution of the drug is highly controlled in most countries and it isn’t readily available. In South Africa it is now available for use under doctor supervision following a successful court process.
In today’s episode of Pasha, Vinny Naidoo, Dean of the University of Pretoria’s Faculty of Veterinary Science, sets out the background to the drug, what the excitement is about and why a great deal of caution is required.
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Rising prices of Ivermectin directly impacts the animal health industry
The very sudden demand increases for Ivermectin injectable products based on beliefs that Ivermectin may help prevent and treat Covid-19, is directly impacting the animal health industry, says Afrivet in a media statement.
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The South African Pork Producers’ Organisation (SAPPO) coordinates industry interventions and collaboratively manages risks in the value chain to enable the sustainability and profitability of pork producers in South Africa.
