Efficacy of Intensified Hygiene Measures with or without the Addition of Doxycycline in the Management of Filarial Lymphedema: A Randomized Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial in Tanzania.

Lymphedema, hydrocele, and acute adenolymphangitis (ADL) are chronically disabling consequences in patients with lymphatic filariasis (LF). Provision of morbidity management and disability prevention and concurrent mass drug administration of anthelmintics are two pillars for elimination of LF. This study assessed the impact of strict hygiene protocols with or without doxycycline on the progression of filarial lymphedema.

A review of epidemiology of lymphatic filariasis in Nigeria.

Lymphatic filariasis is a neglected tropical disease that affects the lymphatic system of humans. The major etiologic agent is a nematode called Wuchereria bancrofti, but Brugia malayi and Brugia timoriare sometimes encountered as causative agents. Mosquitoes are the vectors while humans the definitive hosts respectively.

and Lymphatic Filarial Nematodes and Their Implications in the Pathogenesis of the Disease.

Lymphatic filariasis (LF) is an infection of three closely related filarial worms such as , , and . These worms can cause a devastating disease that involves acute and chronic lymphoedema of the extremities, which can cause elephantiasis in both sexes and hydroceles in males. These important public health nematodes were found to have a mutualistic relationship with intracellular bacteria of the genus , which is essential for the development and survival of the nematode.

Lessons from integrating mental health as part of lymphatic filariasis morbidity management and disability prevention services in Jigawa State, Nigeria.

Lymphatic filariasis (LF) is a neglected tropical disease affecting >120 million people worldwide. LF has debilitating effects on humans and leads to morbidity and sometimes irreversible disability. A significant proportion of persons affected by LF morbidity also suffer from ill health, such as depression, anxiety, pain, stigma and social isolation due to disfigurement, as well as loss of mobility, livelihood and income.

Elimination of lymphatic filariasis as a public health problem in Malawi.

Background: Lymphatic filariasis (LF) is a parasitic disease transmitted by mosquitoes, causing severe pain, disfiguring, and disabling clinical conditions such as lymphoedema and hydrocoele. LF is a global public health problem affecting 72 countries, primarily in Africa and Asia. Since 2000, the World Health Organization (WHO) has led the Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF) to support all endemic regions.

Implementation and Outcomes of a Pilot Collaborative Surgical Hydrocele Training in Côte d'Ivoire.

Lymphatic filariasis (LF) is a neglected tropical disease that can cause hydrocele and its associated stigma, loss of economic productivity, and depression. Hydrocele surgery is an essential part of LF morbidity management but can be difficult for national programs to implement. To improve access to hydrocele surgeries in Côte d'Ivoire, we provided a WHO-certified surgical training for six surgical teams from five health districts in Côte d'Ivoire.

Assessment of antigenemia among children in four hotspots of filarial endemic districts of Nepal during post-MDA surveillance.

Background: Sixty-three out of 77 districts reported lymphatic filariasis (LF) endemic in Nepal. Mass drug administration (MDA) with diethylcarbamazine (DEC) and albendazole (ALB) treatment program was continued for 6 to 11 rounds in these districts. Nepal government has stopped the MDA program based on the transmission assessment survey (TAS) report of 2014 and 2018 indicating Wuchereria bancrofti antigenemia prevalence < 2%.

Evaluating the availability and quality of services for lymphatic filariasis morbidity in Ghana.

Background And Methodology: In districts where lymphatic filariasis (LF) is endemic, the goal is to provide 100% geographical coverage of the essential package of care. Additionally, countries seeking elimination status must document the availability of services for lymphoedema and hydrocele in all endemic areas. To do this, the WHO recommends conducting assessments of the readiness and quality of services provided to identify service delivery and quality gaps.

Morbidity hotspot surveillance: A novel approach to detect lymphatic filariasis transmission in non-endemic areas of the Tillabéry region of Niger.

The Niger Lymphatic Filariasis (LF) Programme is making good progress towards the elimination goal and scaling up morbidity management and disability prevention (MMDP) activities. Clinical case mapping and the increased availability of services has prompted patients to come forward in both endemic and non-endemic districts. The latter included Filingué, Baleyara and Abala districts of the Tillabéry region, and in 2019, 315 patients were found during a follow-up active case finding activity, suggesting it may have low transmission.

Effectiveness of community-based burden estimation to achieve elimination of lymphatic filariasis: A comparative cross-sectional investigation in Côte d'Ivoire.

For lymphatic filariasis (LF) elimination, endemic countries must document the burden of LF morbidity (LFM). Community-based screening (CBS) is used to collect morbidity data, but evidence demonstrating its reliability is limited. Recent pilots of CBS for LFM alongside mass drug administration (MDA) in Côte d'Ivoire suggested low LFM prevalence (2.

The development and roll-out of a new hydrocoele surgery facility assessment tool for the elimination of lymphatic filariasis.

A hydrocoele surgery facility assessment tool (HSFAT) was developed to assess the readiness of hydrocoele surgery services in health facilities prior to implementation of hydrocoele surgical campaigns for the elimination of lymphatic filariasis (LF). A first version of the tool was piloted in Bangladesh, Malawi and Nepal in 2019, then, following feedback from country programme managers, a second version of the tool was rolled out across countries implementing hydrocoele surgery in the Accelerating the Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases (Ascend) West and Central Africa Programme, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Guinea, Niger and Nigeria. The HSFAT assessed facilities across 10 domains: background information, essential amenities, emergency patient transfer, laboratory capacity, surgical procedures and trained staff, infection prevention, non-disposable basic equipment, disposable basic equipment, essential medicines and current hydrocoele practices.

Rare Cases of Filarial Chyluria in Children.

Background: Lymphatic filariasis leading to the passage of white urine or chyle is a rare manifestation in children. Filarial parasite infiltration leading to abnormal lymphatic-urinary communication occurs with prolonged infection. The incubation period ranges from 5 to 20 yrs.

Correlated prevalence of hydrocele and microfilaremia in Amazon (Belém, 1951-2005).

Background & Objectives: For decades, the city of Belém in Brazil's eastern Amazon was the second city in the country with highest prevalence of cases of filariasis due to Wuchereria bancrofti infection. However, this prevalence decreased over time until reaching null records, concomitantly with a decrease in frequency of recorded hydrocele cases. In this context, we analyzed cross-sectional data to evaluate the degree of correlation between prevalence of positive blood microfilariae results during surveillance screening occurred along 54 years (1951-2005) and prevalence of hydrocele cases recorded in the same time period.

Lymphatic filariasis elimination status: Wuchereria bancrofti infections in human populations and factors contributing to continued transmission after seven rounds of mass drug administration in Masasi District, Tanzania.

Background: Lymphatic filariasis (LF) affects more than 120 million people globally. In Tanzania, nearly six million people are estimated to live with clinical manifestations of the disease. The National LF control program was established in 2000 using Mass drug administration (MDA) of Ivermectin and Albendazole to individuals aged 5years and above.

Unlocking Trust in Community Health Systems: Lessons From the Lymphatic Filariasis Morbidity Management and Disability Prevention Pilot Project in Luangwa District, Zambia.

Background: Surgery for hydrocele is commonly promoted as part of morbidity management and disability prevention (MMDP) services for lymphatic filariasis (LF). However, uptake of these surgeries has been suboptimal owing to several community level barriers that have triggered mistrust in such services. This study aimed at documenting mechanisms of unlocking trust in community health systems (CHSs) in the context of a LF hydrocele management project that was implemented in Luangwa District, Zambia.

The implementation and impact of a pilot hydrocele surgery camp for LF-endemic communities in Ethiopia.

Background: Ethiopia aims to eliminate lymphatic filariasis by 2020, through a dual approach of mass drug administration to interrupt transmission and morbidity control which includes making hydrocele surgery available in all endemic areas. Locating patients requiring surgery, providing high quality surgeries, and following up patients are all formidable challenges for many resource-challenged or difficult-to-reach communities. To date, hydrocele surgery in Ethiopia has only occurred when a patient has the knowledge, time and resources to travel to regional hospitals.

Disease Burden Estimation of Lymphatic Filariasis in an Endemic Area.

Anecdotal evidence collected by a community organization suggested high prevalence of lymphatic filariasis (LF) in Sitapur district, Uttar Pradesh. Village volunteers subsequently conducted a line listing in 13 villages of Pisawan block and recorded 261 cases of known LF complications, namely hydrocele and lymphedema. This being far higher than official projections, a block-wide cluster survey was conducted to estimate the disease burden more accurately.

Giant scrotal elephantiasis in a migrant from Niger.

We hereby describe the case of a giant scrotal elephantiasis due to infection by Wuchereria bancrofti, imported in Belgium. We briefly discuss diagnostic methods, their subtlety, and therapeutic possibilities.