Researchers at the Federal University of Alagoas (Ufal), alerted, in August of this year, to the unintended and inappropriate consumption of the antiparasitic ivermectin. The drug is part of the so-called “Covid kit”, without providing any benefit in treating or preventing infection with the Corona virus. In an article, researchers from the Center for Studies in the Pharmacotherapy (NEF) analyzed cases of human scabies (scabies) that are resistant to ivermectin, a drug used for this type of disease.

“Our article assumes that we could have problems with outbreaks of resistant scabies, due to the irrational use of ivermectin. An outbreak has been identified, in which there is a rapid increase in cases of pruritic skin lesions and other symptoms,” says Professor Sabrina Nieves, one of the work’s authors, in a statement. on Friday (26). It reports an outbreak of more than 250 cases of rash and itch of unknown origin under investigation in Pernambuco.

There is still no diagnosis of the disease that caused the outbreak. Some hypotheses of the causes [origem] It is being tested, among them the scabies provoked by the substance. ”

The authors note that ivermectin consumption increased approximately tenfold during the pandemic. “The irrational use of medicines is a public health problem, but in the case of antibiotics and anti-parasitic and anti-fungal medicines, this problem takes on greater proportions. When we use medicines irrationally / incorrectly, such as ivermectin, we risk creating parasite resistance to the drug that should be It treats the disease it causes,” Sabrina concludes.