Factors influencing participation of elderly population in mass drug administration for lymphatic filariasis: a cross-sectional study.

Background: The success of mass drug administration (MDA) for lymphatic filariasis (LF) elimination relies on achieving a participation rate of at least 65% within the endemic community. However, participation of sub-population in the community varies and a significant treatment gap among the elderly population, remains to be addressed. The present study explores the factors influencing the elderly participation in MDA and propose possible solutions to bridge the gap.

Detection of Wuchereria bancrofti infection in mosquitoes in areas co-endemic with Brugia malayi in Balasore district, Odisha, India.

Lymphatic filariasis (LF) is a crippling and disfiguring parasitic condition. India accounts for 55% of the world's LF burden. The filarial parasite Wuchereria bancrofti is known to cause 99.

Mini-TAS as a confirmatory mapping tool for remapping areas with uncertain filarial endemicity to exclude/ include for mass drug administration: A report from field validation in India.

India has targeted elimination of lymphatic filariasis (LF) through mass drug administration (MDA) by 2027. Mapping of LF endemic areas is a priority for implementation of MDA. Current national LF remapping tool for unsurveyed/uncertain districts, have many limitations.

Coverage evaluation of mass drug administration with triple drug regimen in an evaluation unit in Nagpur district of Maharashtra, India.

Background: Triple drug regimen (IDA; Ivermectin, Diethylcarbamazine, Albendazole) recommended for accelerating elimination of lymphatic filariasis was launched in India in December 2018. Nagpur district in Maharashtra was one of the first five districts where this strategy was introduced. The National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) at the district reported ~85.

Country Reports on Practical Aspects of Conducting Large-Scale Community Studies of the Tolerability of Mass Drug Administration with Ivermectin/Diethylcarbamazine/Albendazole for Lymphatic Filariasis.

This article is a compilation of summaries prepared by lead investigators for large-scale safety and efficacy studies on mass drug administration of IDA (ivermectin, diethylcarbamazine, and albendazole) for lymphatic filariasis. The summaries highlight the experiences of study teams that assessed the safety and efficacy of IDA in five countries: India, Indonesia, Haiti, Papua New Guinea, and Fiji. They also highlight significant challenges encountered during these community studies and responses to those challenges that contributed to success.

An open label, block randomized, community study of the safety and efficacy of co-administered ivermectin, diethylcarbamazine plus albendazole vs. diethylcarbamazine plus albendazole for lymphatic filariasis in India.

Background: Better drug regimens for mass drug administration (MDA) could accelerate the Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (LF). This community study was designed to compare the safety and efficacy of MDA with IDA (ivermectin, diethylcarbamazine and albendazole) or DA (diethylcarbamazine and albendazole) in India.

Methodology/principal Findings: This two-armed, open-labelled, block randomised, community study was conducted in LF endemic villages in Yadgir district, Karnataka, India.

Molecular xenomonitoring as a post-MDA surveillance tool for global programme to eliminate lymphatic filariasis: Field validation in an evaluation unit in India.

Background: Lymphatic filariasis (LF) is targeted for elimination by the year 2020. As of 2017, 67 of the 72 endemic countries have implemented annual Mass Drug Administration (MDA) for interrupting LF transmission. Transmission Assessment Survey (TAS) is the recommended protocol to evaluate the impact of MDA and to decide when to stop MDA in an Evaluation Unit (EU, population ≤2 million).

Frequency and Clinical Significance of Localized Adverse Events following Mass Drug Administration for Lymphatic Filariasis in an Endemic Area in South India.

Fear of adverse events (AEs) negatively affects compliance to mass drug administration (MDA) for lymphatic filariasis (LF) elimination program. Systemic AEs are believed to occur because of killing of microfilariae, whereas localized soft tissue reactions might be due to the death of adult worms following therapy. Most AEs are mild and self-limited.

The safety of double- and triple-drug community mass drug administration for lymphatic filariasis: A multicenter, open-label, cluster-randomized study.

Background: The Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF) provides antifilarial medications to hundreds of millions of people annually to treat filarial infections and prevent elephantiasis. Recent trials have shown that a single-dose, triple-drug treatment (ivermectin with diethylcarbamazine and albendazole [IDA]) is superior to a two-drug combination (diethylcarbamazine plus albendazole [DA]) that is widely used in LF elimination programs. This study was performed to assess the safety of IDA and DA in a variety of endemic settings.

Application of a household-based molecular xenomonitoring strategy to evaluate the lymphatic filariasis elimination program in Tamil Nadu, India.

Background: The monitoring and evaluation of lymphatic filariasis (LF) has largely relied on the detection of antigenemia and antibodies in human populations. Molecular xenomonitoring (MX), the detection of parasite DNA/RNA in mosquitoes, may be an effective complementary method, particularly for detecting signals in low-level prevalence areas where Culex is the primary mosquito vector. This paper investigated the application of a household-based sampling method for MX in Tamil Nadu, India.

Epidemiological assessment of eight rounds of mass drug administration for lymphatic filariasis in India: implications for monitoring and evaluation.

Background: Monitoring and evaluation guidelines of the programme to eliminate lymphatic filariasis require impact assessments in at least one sentinel and one spot-check site in each implementation unit (IU). Transmission assessment surveys (TAS) that assess antigenaemia (Ag) in children in IUs that have completed at least five rounds of mass drug administration (MDA) each with >65% coverage and with microfilaria (Mf) levels <1% in the monitored sites form the basis for stopping the MDA. Despite its rigour, this multi-step process is likely to miss sites with transmission potential ('hotspots') and its statistical assumptions for sampling and threshold levels for decision-making have not been validated.

Detection of Chikungunya virus in wild populations of Aedes albopictus in Kerala State, India.

We detected Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) infection among wild populations of Aedes albopictus female specimens during the CHIKV outbreaks of 2009 and 2006 collected in different localities in Kerala State, India. The envelope 1 gene (E1) sequences of the virus isolate 2009 from the mosquito species showed close genetic relatedness (Kimura 2 Parameter genetic distance=0.0013) to CHIKV-positive isolates from human serum samples from the same area.

Mathematical models for lymphatic filariasis transmission and control: Challenges and prospects.

Background: Mathematical models developed for describing the dynamics of transmission, infection, disease and control of lymphatic filariasis (LF) gained momentum following the 1997 World Health Assembly resolution and the launching of the Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF) in 2000. Model applications could provide valuable inputs for making decisions while implementing large scale programmes. However these models need to be evaluated at different epidemiological settings for optimization and fine-tuning with new knowledge and understanding on infection/disease dynamics.

Diurnal pattern of human-biting activity and transmission of subperiodic Wuchereria bancrofti (Filariidea: Dipetalonematidae) by Ochlerotatus niveus (Diptera: Culicidae) on the Andaman and Nicobar islands of India.

We monitored diel-landing periodicity (biting activity/cycle) of Ochlerotatus niveus and the infection/infectivity pattern through human-landing collections on Teressa Island, which is remotely located in the Nicobar district of the Andaman and Nicobar group of Islands of India, for a period of one year. The biting activity was seen throughout the day, exhibiting a bimodal peak, the first at dawn (4:00-6:00 AM) and the other towards dusk (5:00-6:00 PM). This pattern was similar during all the seasons of the year.