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Immuno-parasitological assessment of bancroftian filariasis in a highly endemic area along the River Sabaki, in Malindi district, Kenya

Njenga, S. M., Wamae, C. N., Mwandawiro, C. S. and Molyneux, David ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8537-7947 (2007) 'Immuno-parasitological assessment of bancroftian filariasis in a highly endemic area along the River Sabaki, in Malindi district, Kenya'. Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, Vol 101, Issue 2, pp. 161-172.

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Abstract

Lymphatic filariasis is endemic in the coastal areas of Kenya, with four major foci identified in the early 1970s. The prevalence and intensity of Wuchereria bancrofti infection, together with antifilarial antibody responses, were assessed in a historically highly endemic focus along the River Sabaki, in Malindi district. The prevalences of microfilaraemia and antigenaemia (detected by Og4C3 ELISA) were > 20% and > 40%, respectively, and both increased steadily with age. The high prevalences of antifilarial IgG(1) (86%) and IgG(4) (91%) responses indicate that most people living in this setting are exposed to W. bancrofti infection. The children investigated had higher levels of antifilarial IgG(1) than the adults.
The results of this study, based on a battery of currently available parasitological and immunological methods, provide an epidemiological update on lymphatic filariasis on the northern Kenyan coast. They show that the River Sabaki area is still an important focus for bancroftian filariasis and highlight the importance of implementing an elimination programme, to interrupt the transmission of W bancrofti in all areas of endemicity in Kenya. The detailed baseline data collected in the River Sabaki area make the communities studied ideal as sentinel sites for epidemiological monitoring and the evaluation of the impact of mass drug administrations to eliminate lymphatic filariasis.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: north-eastern tanzania inland coast province wuchereria-bancrofti lymphatic filariasis kwale district clinical manifestations rural area follow-up prevalence infection
Subjects: QX Parasitology > Helminths. Annelida > QX 301 Filarioidea
WA Public Health > WA 105 Epidemiology
WA Public Health > Preventive Medicine > WA 110 Prevention and control of communicable diseases. Transmission of infectious diseases
WA Public Health > Health Problems of Special Population Groups > WA 395 Health in developing countries
WC Communicable Diseases > Tropical and Parasitic Diseases > WC 880 Filariasis and related conditions (General)
Faculty: Department: Groups (2002 - 2012) > Disease Control Strategy Group
Digital Object Identifer (DOI): https://doi.org/10.1179/136485907X156933
Depositing User: Martin Chapman
Date Deposited: 04 Feb 2013 10:24
Last Modified: 06 Feb 2018 13:01
URI: https://archive.lstmed.ac.uk/id/eprint/1254

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