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Algeria's health ministry has warned against using the anti-parasitic drug Ivermectin to treat Covid-19 as it poses a "danger to human health", privately owned daily newspaper El Khabar has reported.

The newspaper said it had seen a letter sent by the ministry to local health authorities, warning that the drug was circulating on the black market, and they should be "aware of the dangers arising from the use of this medication" in humans.

Ivermectin is used to treat parasitic worms, but some have touted it as an effective coronavirus treatment even though it is not clinically proven.

It has also become popular on the black market in South Africa, where a court battle is raging over whether or not it should be used to treat Covid-19.

The pill is currently not licensed for human use by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority. It is only registered to treat parasites in animals.