title: A new technique for the determination of microfilarial densities in onchocerciasis.
abstract: Precise measurement of the parasite load in helminthic infections makes it possible to correlate morbidity, the individual response to treatment, and the best control methods. A membrane filtration technique was recently developed for quantifying Wuchereria bancrofti microfilaraemia. The present paper describes its application to onchocerciasis in a study on 107 patients in northern Togo. The technique is cheap and simple to apply under field conditions, and is extremely efficient at recovering microfilariae from skin snips.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008722:Methods; D008842:Microfilariae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008875:Middle Aged; D009854:Onchocerca / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012867:Skin / Q000469:parasitology; D014037:Togo