Longevity of Wuchereria bancrofti var. pacifica and mosquito infection acquired from a patient with low level parasitemia.
Two cases are reported which illustrate important epidemiological aspects of lymphatic filariasis--prolonged longevity of the adult parasite and the possibility of transmission by individuals with ultra-low level microfilaremia. These cases demonstrate that people can remain carriers of microfilariae in the peripheral blood for many years without reinfection, and even those with a low level microfilaremia can constitute a significant reservoir of mosquito infection. Such cases represent one of the most serious obstacles to the eradication of lymphatic filariasis in regions where control is based on chemotherapy.
D000328:Adult; D000330:Aedes / Q000469:parasitology*; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005368:Filariasis / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008842:Microfilariae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011114:Polynesia; D013997:Time Factors; D014774:Virulence; D014958:Wuchereria bancrofti / Q000302:isolation & purification