On ivermectin and parasites (and other things)

On ivermectin and parasites (and other things)

From Drug Story by Thomas Goetz

March 24, 2026 · 48 min · Season 1 · Episode 12

About this episode

This episode explores the realities and myths surrounding ivermectin, a drug often misrepresented in popular media.

This episode is all about ivermectin - which truly is a wonder drug! A veritable miracle cure. For, ahem, river blindness. And for some other parasitic diseases, like hookworm. Mostly in animals. But in the US, you have likely heard of ivermectin not as a treatment for parasites but for different purposes altogether. There are thousands of videos on YouTube and Instagram extolling ivermectin for viral diseases like Covid, various cancers, and for something called a “parasitic detox,” or a “parasitic cleanse.” Really? This one drug does all that? No. It does not. In this episode of Drug Story, we tell the tale of ivermectin, and what gets all those people on TikTok raving about this drug - what they hope it could be, what they believe it works on. And then, with an open mind, we go to the science – to tease apart the true miracles from the mere fantasies. Source for this episode: [1] Dirt Eaters (2006) NCpedia : Hookworm spreads through skin contact with contaminated soil, with infection linked to poor sanitation and barefoot exposure. [2] What Would It Take to Describe the Global Diversity of Parasites? (2020) Proceedings B (Royal Society) : Discussion of parasite diversity and…

People in this episode

Host: Thomas Goetz

Topics covered

  • ivermectin
  • parasites
  • viral diseases
  • health myths
  • science
  • public perception

Keywords

  • ivermectin
  • parasites
  • river blindness
  • hookworm
  • viral diseases
  • health myths
  • science

Mentioned in this episode

Products: ivermectin

Books & works: Dirt Eaters, What Would It Take to Describe the Global Diversity of Parasites?, The Great Hookworm Crusade

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