Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36115669›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2022

Understanding the widespread use of veterinary ivermectin for Chagas disease, underlying factors and implications for the COVID-19 pandemic: a convergent mixed-methods study.

Boris Apodaca Michel, Miriam Navarro, Michael Pritsch, Jeremy Douglas Du Plessis, Jonathan Shock, Eva-Maria Schwienhorst-Stich, Janina Zirkel, Hanna Schrader, Claudia Saavedra Irala, Gonzalo Rubilar and 5 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
0.2field-weighted citation impact, top 49% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 2 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors at 8 institutions in 4 countries.

Boris Apodaca MichelDepartment of Medical and Social Projects, DAHW, Würzburg, Germany.
Miriam NavarroDepartment of Public Health, Science History and Gynecology, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Alicante, Spain.
Michael PritschDivision of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, University Hospital LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
Jeremy Douglas Du PlessisDepartment of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa.
Jonathan ShockDepartment of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa.
Eva-Maria Schwienhorst-StichDepartment of General Practice, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
Janina ZirkelMedical Faculty, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
Hanna SchraderDepartment of General Practice, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
Claudia Saavedra IralaDepartment of Medical and Social Projects, DAHW, Würzburg, Germany.
Gonzalo RubilarDepartment of Medical and Social Projects, DAHW, Würzburg, Germany.
Carolin GuneschDepartment of Medical and Social Projects, DAHW, Würzburg, Germany.
Christa KasangDepartment of Medical and Social Projects, DAHW, Würzburg, Germany.
Thomas ZollerDepartment of Infectious Diseases and Respiratory Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Ildiko GagyorDepartment of General Practice, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-7974-7603
Sandra ParisiDepartment of Medical and Social Projects, DAHW, Würzburg, Germany Parisi_S@ukw.de.ORCID 0000-0003-2029-3659
Deutsche Lepra- und Tuberkulosehilfe · DEUniversitätsklinikum Würzburg · DECentro de Información y Desarrollo de la Mujer · BOUniversity of Cape Town · ZAUniversity of Würzburg · DEHumboldt-Universität zu Berlin · DELMU Klinikum · DEUniversitat de Miguel Hernández d'Elx · ES

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesVeterinary ivermectin (vet-IVM) has been used widely in Latin America against COVID-19, despite the lack of scientific evidence and potential risks. Widespread vet-IVM intake was also discovered against Chagas disease during a study in Bolivia prior to the pandemic. All vet-IVM-related data were extracted to understand this phenomenon, its extent and underlying factors and to discuss potential implications for the current pandemic.

designA convergent mixed-methods study design including a survey, qualitative in-depth interviews (IDI) and focus group discussions (FGD).

settingA cross-sectional study conducted in 2018 covering the geographic area of Monteagudo, an endemic municipality for Chagas disease.

participantsA total of 669 adult household representatives from 26 communities participated in the survey, supplemented by 14 IDI and 2 FGD among patients, relatives and key informants.

results9 IDI and 2 FGD contained narratives on vet-IVM use against Chagas disease. Five main themes emerged: (1) the extent of the vet-IVM phenomenon, (2) the perception of vet-IVM as a treatment for Chagas disease, (3) the vet-IVM market and the controversial role of stakeholders, (4) concerns about potential adverse events and (5) underlying factors of vet-IVM use against Chagas disease.In quantitative analysis, 28% of participants seropositive for Chagas disease had taken vet-IVM. Factors associated with multivariate analysis were advanced age (OR 17.01, 95 CI 1.24 to 36.55, p=0.027 for age above 60 years), the experience of someone close as information source (OR 3.13, 95 CI 1.62 to 5.02, p<0.001), seropositivity for Chagas disease (OR 3.89, 95 CI 1.39 to 6.20, p=0.005) and citing the unavailability of benznidazole as perceived healthcare barrier (OR 2.3, 95 CI 1.45 to 5.18, p=0.002). Participants with an academic education were less likely to report vet-IVM intake (OR 0.12, 95 CI 0.01 to 0.78, p=0.029).

conclusionsSocial determinants of health, the unavailability of treatment and a wonder drug image might contribute to the phenomenon of vet-IVM.

Indexed as

Chagas DiseaseCOVID-19AdultCross-Sectional StudiesHumansIvermectinMiddle AgedPandemicsIvermectinCOVID-19infection controlpublic healthtropical medicine

Identifiers

PMID36115669
PMCPMC9485649
OpenAlexW4296139661

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.