Figure 1

Study timeline of recruitment, treatment and analysis. Patients were recruited in November/December 2006. After the informed consent was signed by each volunteer, skin biopsies were taken from which Mf were isolated and counted. Volunteers were allocated into two treatment groups. Before treatment with doxycycline or placebo (pre-treatment, month 0), volunteers were brought to the capture side to allow Simulium damnosum flies to take a blood meal. Flies were captured and raised in an insectarium for seven days. After dissecting the flies Onchocerca volvulus larvae were counted. This was repeated monthly for five months after doxycycline treatment was completed.