Elephantiasis is a symptom of a variety of diseases that is characterized by the thickening of the skin and underlying tissues, especially in the legs, male genitals and female breasts. Some conditions having this symptom include: Elephantiasis nostras, due to longstanding chronic lymphangitis; Elephantiasis tropica or lymphatic filariasis, caused by a number of parasitic worms, particularly Wu...

Abstract Background Lymphatic Filariasis (LF), a parasitic nematode infection, poses huge economic burden to affected countries. LF endemicity is localized and its prevalence spatially heterogeneous. In Ghana, there exists differences in multiplicity of symptoms the country’s northern southern parts. Species distribution models (SDMs) have been utilized explore suite risk factors that influence...

In Burkina Faso, onchocerciasis was no longer a public health problem when the WHO Onchocerciasis Control Programme in West Africa closed at end 2002. However, epidemiological surveillance carried out from November 2010 to February of 2011, showed recrudescence infection Cascades Region. This finding made time ivermectin, drug recommended for treatment both and lymphatic filariasis, had been di...

A rapid method to assess the coverage of mass drug administration (MDA) in the program to eliminate lymphatic filariasis needs to be developed for monitoring and evaluation of the program. This study attempted to develop and test a method of rapid assessment of coverage by using the existing resources of the program. This is based on the data obtained from the randomly selected health workers a...

BACKGROUND Lymphatic filariasis (LF) occurs when filarial parasites are transmitted to humans through mosquitoes. The filarial worms affect the lymphatic system which leads to abnormal enlargement of body parts, chronic pain, disability, and social discrimination. In 1999, a commitment was made to eliminate LF from the Pacific Region by 2010. The Pacific Program to Eliminate LF began, with Vanu...

Lymphatic filariasis infects 120 million people in 73 countries worldwide and continues to be a worsening problem, especially in Africa and the Indian subcontinent. Elephantiasis, lymphoedema, and genital pathology afflict 44 million men, women and children; another 76 million have parasites in their blood and hidden internal damage to their lymphatic and renal systems. In the past, tools and s...

Among the 14 known endemic countries in the Eastern and Southern Africa subregion, mapping has been completed in seven and is in progress in four. Five countries have active mass drug administration programmes, and up to six rounds of mass treatment have been given in some of the implementation areas. Three countries have initiated disability prevention and management as part of their programme...

1 Department of Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland, 2 Division of Parasite Diseases and Malaria, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America, 3 Neglected Tropical Diseases Support Center, Task Force for Global Health, Decatur, Georgia, United States of America, 4 RTI International, Washington, D.C., U...