Home / Health / Experts Debunk Ivermectin Claims Amid Cyclosporiasis Crisis
Experts Debunk Ivermectin Claims Amid Cyclosporiasis Crisis
19 Jul
Summary
- Ivermectin ineffective against Cyclospora parasite, experts state.
- 34 states report cyclosporiasis cases, with 1,645 confirmed since May.
- Antibiotic trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole treats Cyclospora, not ivermectin.
Medical experts have refuted claims made by U.S. Representatives Nancy Mace and Marjorie Taylor Greene regarding the efficacy of ivermectin in treating cyclosporiasis. The parasite causing this illness is a single-celled protozoan, rendering it unresponsive to ivermectin, a drug effective against parasitic worms and external parasites like mites.
As of July 14, 2026, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported locally acquired cases of cyclosporiasis in 34 states, with 1,645 infections confirmed since May. Many affected individuals have experienced severe diarrhea, and 141 have been hospitalized. Experts stressed that ivermectin's mechanism of action, which involves paralyzing multicellular parasites, does not apply to single-celled organisms like Cyclospora.
Specialists noted that Cyclospora is readily treatable with the antibiotic trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Studies on related parasites, such as the one causing malaria, have also shown ivermectin to lack significant therapeutic activity. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration confirmed that ivermectin is not approved for treating cyclosporiasis.
