BackgroundThere is compelling evidence that not only do anti-filarials significantly reduce larval forms, but that host immune responses also contribute to the clearance of filarial parasites; however, the underlying mechanisms have not been fully elucidated.Main textFilarial infections caused by Wuchereria bancrofti and Brugia species (lymphatic filariasis) and Onchocerca volvulus (onchocerciasis) affect almost 200 million individuals worldwide and pose major public health challenges in endemic regions. Indeed, the collective disability-adjusted life years for both infections is 3.3 million. Infections with these thread-like nematodes are chronic and, although most individuals develop a regulated state, a portion develop severe forms of pathology. Mass drug administration (MDA) programmes on endemic populations focus on reducing prevalence of people with microfilariae, the worm's offspring in the blood, to less than 1 %. Although this has been successful in some areas, studies show that MDA will be required for longer than initially conceived.ConclusionThis paper highlights the mode of action of the various antifilarial treatment strategies and role of host immune response.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40249-016-0183-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.