Microfilariae obtained from in vitro culture of adult Dirofilaria immitis were inoculated into naive dogs and used to test the in vivo efficacy of the antimicrofilarial drug Dizan. Injection of 33 million microfilariae into a 3-month-old male beagle pup over a 5-day period resulted in a microfilaremia that peaked at 863 microfilariae per ml on day 30. Treatment with Dizan resulted in a rapid cl...

India is committed to eliminate filariasis by 2015. To achieve this goal annual mass drug administration (MDA) of diethylcarbamazine (DEC) was launched in 2004 by the Government of India1,2. According to the guidelines, DEC should be administered under supervision to all people excluding children <2 yr, pregnant women and severely ill persons (noneligible). The recommended DEC dosage is one tab...

Heartworm infection is one of the most important parasitic diseases in dogs and an increasing number of cases are reported each year by necropsy in Ahvaz. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of Dirofilaria immitisinfection and to investigate the risk factors related to heartworm disease in urban dogs in this area. Blood samples were collected from 100 dogs from Feb 2007 to Feb ...

Although current programmes to eliminate lymphatic filariasis have made significant progress it may be necessary to use different approaches to achieve the global goal, especially where compliance has been poor and 'hot spots' of continued infection exist. In the absence of alternative drugs, the use of higher or more frequent dosing with the existing drugs needs to be explored. We examined the...

Loa loa infections have emerged as a serious public health problem in patients co-infected with Onchocerca volvulus or Wuchereria bancrofti because of severe adverse neurological reactions after treatment with ivermectin. Accurate diagnostic tests are needed for careful mapping in regions where mass drug administration is underway. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) has become a wide...

One hundred and sixty-two individuals from a community in Kwale District, Kenya, endemic for bancroftian filariasis, were selected for a study on the IgE response to filarial antigen (prepared from adult Brugia pahangi). Following clinical and parasitological examination, the individuals were grouped into different categories, based on the presence/absence of microfilaraemia, the presence/absen...

A six months' study was conducted to determine the occurrence of blood parasites in donors Eku and Abraka, Delta State. Random sampling adopted for samples collection alongside socio-demographic characteristics. Laboratory analysis using thick thin films were carried out on samples. The result showed that 59(29.5%) positive parasites; 46(23.0%) Plasmodium, 5(5.0%) Trypanosoma, 8(4.0%) microfila...

Lymphatic filariasis (LF) is targeted for worldwide elimination. In Yemen, all mainland implementation units met the WHO criteria for stopping mass drug administration (MDA) after 5 rounds. However, in Socotra Island these criteria were not met. Our study evaluated the efficacy of applying expanded polystyrene beads (EPBs) on the Culex population and the effect on LF transmission. Human and mos...

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE Ivermectin has been the keystone of onchocerciasis control for the last 25 years. Sub-optimal responses to the drug have been reported in Ghanaian communities under long-term treatment. We assessed, in two Cameroonian foci, whether the microfilaricidal and/or embryostatic effects of ivermectin on Onchocerca volvulus have been altered after several years of drug pressure. ...

A case of loiasis diagnosed at Wankie Colliery Hospital is presented. The disease was suspected by the history of the patient and the presenting clinical signs, and it was confirmed by identification of Microfilariae loa loa in peripheral blood. The patient was successfully treated with a course of diethylcarbamazine. The paper gives a brief account of the clinical aspects of loiasis and emphas...