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PubMed2001

Serum levels of endothelin-1 (ET-1), interleukin-2 (IL-2) and amino-terminal propeptide type III procollagen (PIII NP) in patients with acute and chronic filariasis.

Filariasis, a mosquito-borne parasitic disease, is a worldwide health problem. There is still, some controversial concerning the diagnosis of acute and chronic infections. The serum levels of endothelin-1 (ET-1), interleukin-2 (IL-2) and amino-terminal propeptide Type III (PIII NP) was measured in patients with acute and chronic filariasis as compared with controls. The ET-1, IL-2 and PIII NP levels were significantly high in chronic cases than in acute. On the other hand, the serum levels of IL-2 and PIII NP were significantly high in acute cases than in the controls. These three immuno-mediators play role in the pathogenesis of filariasis particularly. The chronic cases. So, these mediators can be used as markers for diagnosis of human cases infected with chronic and acute filariasis.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2004

Impact of a filariasis control program on intestinal helminthic infections; a pilot study in Narathiwat Province, Thailand.

This study was conducted in 9 villages located in endemic areas for brugian filariasis in Narathiwat Province, Thailand. Parasitological and anthropometric examinations were cross-sectionally performed to assess the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections of 539 villagers. Paired stool samples were collected before and after mass treatment for the filariasis control program in 150 participants in order to study the impact of the filariasis control program on intestinal helminthiasis. The results found that 50.3% of the villagers were infected with one or more types of intestinal parasites. Double and triple infections were found in 10.9% and 1.6% of infected individuals respectively. The prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections peaked in the 1-10 year old age-group, which are pre-school and young school-age children. A significant reduction of intestinal helminthic infections in the post-treatment stool sample was observed in the 150 participants who were examined six months after mass treatment. Integrating an intestinal helminthic control program alongside the existing filariasis control program would be an appropriate and cost-effective strategy in the control of intestinal helminths. However, reinfection of parasites was observed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Relationship between malaria and filariasis transmission indices in an endemic area along the Kenyan Coast.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: An entomological survey was conducted to determine the relationship between malaria and lymphatic filariasis transmission by Anopheles gambiae s.l. and An. funestus in two inland villages along the Kenyan coast. METHODS: Mosquitoes were sampled inside houses by pyrethrum spray sheet collection (PSC). In the laboratory, the mosquitoes were sorted to species, dissected for examination of filarial infection and the anophelines later tested for Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite proteins by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: From a total of 2,032 female mosquitoes collected indoors, An. gambiae s.l constituted 94.4% while the remaining 5.6% comprised of An. funestus and Culex quinquefasciatus. None of the Cx. quinquefasciatus was positive for filarial worms. P. falciparum sporozoite rate for An. gambiae s.l. from both villages was significantly higher than Wuchereria bancrofti infectivity rate. Similarly, the entomological inoculation rate for An. gambiae s.l. was significantly higher than the corresponding W. bancrofti infective biting rate and transmission potential for both the villages. Mass treatment of people with filaricidal drugs in Shakahola in the ongoing global elimination of lymphatic filariasis campaign seemed to have reduced the indices of filariasis transmission but had no effect on malaria transmission. INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSION: These results indicate the intensity of malaria transmission by anophelines to be much higher than that of lymphatic filariasis in areas where both diseases co-exist and re-emphasise the need to integrate the control of the two diseases in such areas.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Clinical trial on furapyrimidone in filariasis.

A clinical trial was carried out with furapyrimidone in treating 51 patients with B. malayi, 159 with W. bancrofti and eight with D. perstans using different dosage schedules. Two hundred and fifty-seven cases of Malayan and bancroftian filariasis were treated with hetrazan for comparison. The results based on the microfilaricidal effects suggest that furapyrimidone possesses similar therapeutic effects of hetrazan on Malayan filariasis at eight-month follow-up, and higher incidences of microfilarial disappearance of W. bancrofti infection (81.3%) at six-month follow-up. The drug was also effective against D. perstans. The side effects consisted of fever and irritation of the digestive tract. Fever may be related to allergic reaction of foreign protein from the dead or dying parasites. The side reactions are similar to those of hetrazan and usually not serious. Comparing the efficacies and side effects of furapyrimidone with different dosage schedules the authors recommend regimens of 15 to 20 mg/kg/day for six days in treating Malayan filariasis and 20 mg/kg/day for seven days in treating bancroftian filariasis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Endemic filariasis on a Pacific Island. II. Immunologic aspects: immunoglobulin, complement, and specific antifilarial IgG, IgM, and IgE antibodies.

Sixty-eight individuals from a Pacific island hyperendemic for subperiodic bancroftian filariasis were selected from a larger study population to include the entire clinical spectrum of filarial infection in that region and also an "endemic control" group without clinical or parasitologic evidence of filarial infection. Analysis of their blood leukocyte and humoral immune responses yielded the following major findings: 1) levels of specific antifilarial antibodies of three different immunoglobulin class (IgG and IgM measured by ELISA and IgE determined by radioimmunoassay) were significantly greater in the "endemic control" population than in the patients with filariasis, an observation true for both children and adults; 2) the endemic controls also had significantly higher levels of serum IgM and C3 than did the filariasis patients 3) while individuals with "filarial fevers" and "chronic (lymphatic) pathology" did have significantly lower IgG antibody responses to filarial antigen than the controls, the lowest antibody levels were found in the patients with microfilaremia; 4) symptomatic patients (i.e., those with filarial fevers or lymphatic obstruction) regularly showed higher specific antibody responses to filarial antigens than asymptomatic, infected individuals, although the difference did not reach statistical significance. These findings are in concert with our previously reported, intriguing observation that lymphocyte proliferative responsiveness to filarial antigens was much greater in individuals of the "non-infected" endemic control population than in patients with filariasis; furthermore, they indicate the important issues that must be approached and resolved to define the immunologic determinants leading both to the various filarial clinical syndromes and to protective immunity.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Malaria and filariasis transmission in a village/forest setting in Baram District, Sarawak, Malaysia.

Entomological investigations on malaria and bancroftian filariasis transmission were carried out in the endemic area of Baram District, Sarawak. The Anopheles composition, survival and infection rates of malaria and filariasis were compared in the village and 0.5 km from the village ecotype, in forested areas. Anopheles leucosphyrus, An. barbirostris and An. donaldi are the vectors for malaria and bancroftian filariasis in both ecotypes. Biting and infection rates vary, but An. leucosphyrus differed with a peak around midnight in the forested area and soon after dusk in the village setting. The parous rate of An. leucosphyrus was significantly higher in the forest ecotype (P < 0.0001); however, the proportion of 3-parous and older was not overall higher in the forest ecotype (P = 0.68). The entomological inoculation of malaria parasites by An. leucosphyrus was comparatively higher in the forested areas (P > 0.5). The implications of malaria and filariasis transmission in the forested areas in Baram District are discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Social and behavioral aspects of filariasis transmission in Kumpeh, Jambi, Indonesia.

Studies on the social and behavioral aspects of filariasis transmission were conducted in the transmigration area of Kumpeh, in the province of Jambi, Sumatra, Indonesia. Three methods were used in the study namely, interview, participation observation and focus group discussion. A total of 266 respondents (136 males and 130 females) were interviewed. The results of the study showed the most of the transmigrants were not familiar with the word "filariasis". They were more used to the name of "penyakit kaki gajah" or "elephant's leg" disease or "untut". The word "untut" is similar to what people of Selangor, Malaysia call this disease. The community attitude towards control efforts against filariasis was positive, as evidenced by their readiness in being bled and their readiness to help change the environment which serves as mosquito breeding places. Usually the transmigrants live in the "ladang" or dry farming area for 3-4 months to protect their crops from damages by pests. This habit was rather negative, because in their "ladangs" they exposed themselves to high risk of mosquito bites and thus to filariasis infection.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

[Cost-benefit analysis on Malayan filariasis control in Miaoxi Township, Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province during 1964-1987].

The methods adopted in this paper were as follows: (1) The cost of the filariasis control was estimated to be direct cost and indirect cost; (2) Using the reduction rate of acute inflammatory attack as the measurable indicator of control effectiveness; (3) Estimating the case number of acute inflammatory attack occurred after control year by year basing on the goodness by fitting in the reduction trend of acute inflammatory attack with hyperbola formula; (4) Assuming that the case number of acute inflammatory attack would be relatively stable at the same level of pre-control if filariasis control measures were not implemented; (5) The benefit from the filariasis control was estimated by transforming the increasing man-working day and saving the medicine expenses of patients due to the reduction of acute inflammatory attack. By allowing seven percent discount on cost and benefit, the total cost was 21,182 Yuan, the total benefit was 119,859 Yuan, the ratio of cost-benefit was 1:5.7, implying that putting in one Yuan to filariasis control in this township may gain benefit 5.7 Yuan.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Epidemiology of lymphatic filariasis.

Human lymphatic filariasis is caused mainly by Wuchereria bancrofti, Brugia malayi and Brugia timori. Of the estimated 90.2 million people infected, more than 90% have bancroftian and less than 10% brugian filariasis. The distribution and transmission of the disease are closely associated with socioeconomic and behavioural factors in endemic populations. Urban W. bancrofti infection, as seen in South-East Asia, is related to poor urban sanitation, which leads to intense breeding of Culex quiquefasciatus, the principal vector. Rural strains of W. bancrofti are transmitted primarily by Anopheles spp. and Aedes spp. mosquitoes. Brugian filariasis is mainly a rural disease transmitted by Mansonia, Anopheles and Aedes spp. mosquitoes. The periodic form of B. malayi is principally a human parasite, whereas the subperiodic form is zoonotically transmitted in some countries. The control of filariasis has relied on chemotherapy, vector control and reduction of human-vector contact. Although eradication of W. bancrofti and periodic B. malayi can be achieved, it is possible only to reduce transmission of zoonotic subperiodic B. malayi in some areas. A rational approach to control should consider ecological, socioeconomic and behavioural factors and, where feasible, integrate control programmes into the delivery system for primary health care.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Arthritis in children: an occult manifestation of Bancroftian filariasis.

A form of unexplained arthritis, not attributable to known causes, seen in children (0-14 yrs) in this endemic zone of Bancroftian filariasis was investigated for its association with filariasis. Nineteen cases of undiagnosed arthritis were screened for filarial IgG antibodies to Wuchereria by Stick Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). All had large joint involvement, the commonest joint affected being the knee joint. Involvement was monoarticular in 10 and binarticular in 9. Joint pain was present in 18 and effusion in 12. Five patients had recurrent episodes. Sixteen (84.2%) showed filarial antibodies of which only one (5.3%) was microfilaraemic. Patients with classical filariasis (16), disease controls (10), endemic normals (15) and non-endemic normals (10) were also subjected to ELISA to ascertain the sensitivity and specificity of the technique. Fifteen (93.8%) cases of classical filariasis and 1 (6.7%) of endemic normal were antibody positive, whereas none of disease controls and non-endemic normals had filarial antibodies. Nine cases of filarial arthritis reviewed after a course of Diethylcarbamazine showed satisfactory response to treatment.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

The endemic normal in lymphatic filariasis: A static concept.

Residents of areas endemic for lymphatic filariasis are continually exposed to infection with mosquito-transmitted infective larvae (L3), some of which survive to become adult worms and subsequently produce micro filarial (mf) transmission stages. The question of whether naturally acquired resistance occurs in adult residents of endemic areas has recently become of interest as the development of molecular vaccines against filarial parasites is being considered(1,2). There have been two epidemiological approaches to demonstrate acquired resistance to Filariasis in human populations. In this review Karen Day examines both approaches in the context of an immunoepidemiological study of bancroftian filariasis in Papua New Guinea (PNG). The merits of each as a conceptual framework for studies of protective immunity in lymphatic filariasis will be discussed.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1991

A model for the dynamics of human lymphatic filariasis.

In this paper, Bryan Gren fell, Edwin Michael and David Denham review the appropriateness of feline filariasis as a model of the population dynamics of human lymphatic filarial infection and disease. Because of the longevity of infection and our inability to measure the adult parasite population in humans, research in filariasis is particularly dependent on the use of laboratory animal models. We demonstrate that Brugia pahangi infection patterns in the cat closely parallel those of Brugia and Wuchereria in humans. Although primary infections in 'susceptible' cats are long-lived, repeatedly infected animals show evidence of concomitant immunity which prevents the establishment of later cohorts of infective larvae. Furthermore, there is some evidence from macro filarial length distributions of 'stunting' of adult worms during long-term repeat infections. Cats can also show an 'acute' response that spontaneously eliminates infections, and this appears to be due to a combination of intrinsic and dynamic mechanisms. As in humans, pathology in cat filariasis develops as a sequel to the asymptomatic microfilaremic state, largely as a result of re-expression of immunity. The relationship between macro filarial burdens and microfilariae in blood is positive but portrays a high degree of variability. The cat model provides an important tool for elucidating the relationships between infection, immunity and disease dynamics in lymphatic filariasis, and we conclude by suggesting directions for further work in this area.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2006

Human bancroftian filariasis: immunological markers of morbidity and infection.

Induction of host cytokines plays a critical role in infection as well as disease in human filariasis. Measurements of such molecules in plasma could be used as windows of markers both for understanding the pathogenesis of the disease and for identifying markers of morbidity. Eight inflammatory and non-inflammatory host molecules in circulation were quantified in 207 subjects in filariasis endemic area of Orissa, India. IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, TNF-alpha, TNFR-I, TNFR-II, LBP and sICAM-1 were quantified by immunoassays and were analyzed by multivariate exploratory data analysis methods followed by multivariate analysis of variance. Raised levels of IL-6 and IL-8 emerged as markers of acute as well as chronic disease, while increased TNF-alpha was a feature found only in acute filariasis. Decreased sICAM-1 was a feature found only in asymptomatic subjects with filarial infection. There was a dichotomy in plasma levels of two TNF receptors between infected subjects and patients with filarial disease. Since plasma levels of these cytokines are often determined by host genetics, studies on cytokine genetic polymorphisms could offer new insights into the relationship between infection and disease in human lymphatic filariasis.

Acute-Phase Proteins↗
PubMed2004

Mass drug administration to eliminate lymphatic filariasis in India.

Mass drug administration (MDA) to eliminate lymphatic filariasis is already in place in 32 out of 83 endemic countries. Expansion of the MDA programme to other countries and within large countries such as India is necessary to achieve the goal of lymphatic filariasis elimination. However, expansion and sustenance of the global campaign to eliminate lymphatic filariasis requires commitment and allocation of funds by governments and donor agencies. This could be achieved, at least to some extent, by highlighting the benefits of the programme in relation to costs. On the basis of various studies in south India, this article assesses the costs, effectiveness and economic and social benefits of the MDA programmes aimed at eliminating lymphatic filariasis.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Lymphatic filariasis elimination in the Pacific: PacELF replicating Japanese success.

Japan successfully eliminated lymphatic filariasis and other parasitic diseases through community-driven, integrated nationwide campaigns undertaken during the 1960s and 1970s. The campaigns also created a cadre of experienced clinicians, scientists and public health workers with excellent technical and operational knowledge and a positive attitude towards filariasis elimination. These factors, and the humanitarian desire to improve health in neighbouring nations, influenced Japan to support filariasis control efforts overseas, starting in the 1970s and continuing through to the inception of the Pacific Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (PacELF) in 1999. The unique community-driven, self-help approach of Japan to disease control and health improvement profoundly influenced the activities of PacELF. PacELF is demonstrating that the successful national disease-elimination model in Japan can be extended to the regional level.

Elephantiasis, Filarial↗
PubMed2006

Diagnostic tools for filariasis elimination programs.

The ambitious and exciting Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF) is largely based on a strategy of mass drug administration (MDA) of repeated rounds of antifilarial medications to endemic populations around the world. Diagnostic tools are important to GPELF because they affect decisions regarding where to distribute MDA, how to measure its effects, how to define targets and endpoints for stopping MDA, and how to monitor populations for possible resurgence of filariasis transmission following suspension of MDA. This article reviews available diagnostic tests for filariasis and their potential use as tools for different phases of filariasis elimination programs.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Human antibody responses to Brugia malayi antigens in brugian filariasis.

Human antibody responses to Brugia malayi antigens were studied with sera from a Brugia endemic area in South India. Patients with clinical filariasis had significantly higher IgE and lower IgG4 levels to adult worm antigens than people with asymptomatic microfilaraemia. Intermediate antibody levels were observed in endemic normals. A majority of sera from each clinical group contained IgG antibodies to surface antigens of infective larvae (L3) by IFAT. IgG immunoblot studies did not reveal group differences in L3 antigen recognition. IgE antibodies bound to a subset of antigens bound by IgG. IgE antibodies in sera from clinical filariasis patients preferentially bound to L3 antigens at 200, 97, 68 and 58 kDa compared with sera from microfilaria carriers. These results are consistent with prior studies of antibody responses in filariasis and add new information on the targets of IgG and IgE antibodies to L3 antigens in brugian filariasis.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Prevalence of hydrocele as a rapid diagnostic index for lymphatic filariasis.

The real burden of lymphatic filariasis in most endemic areas remains unknown even thought it is a major public health problem in many tropical countries, particularly in sub-saharan African. The nocturnal periodicity of the parasite requires parasitological examinations to be done at night. The aim of this study was to develop and validate rapid epidemiological assessment tools for the community diagnosis of lymphatic filariasis, that may be used in the future to determine the distribution of the disease and identify high risk communities in Ghana. Twenty communities with varying endemicity of filariasis were sampled from 3 endemic districts. Community members were selected for the study using a modified Expanded Programme for Immunization (EPI) cluster sampling technique. The prevalence of hydrocele was high (range 4.5-40.75%, mean = 17.78%) and the community prevalence of microfilaraemia correlated well with that of hydrocele (r = 0.84). The findings suggest that it is possible to obtain reliable and valid estimates of the community burden of lymphatic filariasis using the prevalence of hydrocele as a diagnostic index.

Adolescent↗