title: Bancroftian filariasis in the Varanasi region of north India: an epidemiological study.
abstract: The age- and sex-specific distributions of human infections with Wuchereria bancrofti were investigated at two sites in the Varanasi region of north India: one a rural, agricultural area (Chiraigaon) and the other an urban-slum area (Sunderpur). A random clinical and parasitological survey revealed that the prevalence of microfilaraemia and elephantiasis in the urban area (14% and 7.3%, respectively) were both higher than in the rural area (9% and 3.1%, respectively). In both areas, prevalence of microfilaraemia generally increased with age, to a maximum in those aged 20-29 years, and then declined. Within most age-groups, the prevalences of microfilaraemia and elephantiasis were higher in males than females. However, the prevalence of microfilaraemia in females from Chiraigaon who were aged > 30 years was higher than in their male counterparts. Though individual microfilarial intensities varied greatly, the geometric mean microfilarial intensity was higher in Sunderpur than in Chiraigaon (214 v. 196 microfilariae/ml). All 83 subjects with elephantiasis, except one in Sunderpur, were amicrofilaraemic. The present results indicate that bancroftian filariasis is one of the major public-health problems in the study area.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rathaur
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D004605:Elephantiasis, Filarial / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005368:Filariasis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012423:Rural Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012737:Sex Factors; D014504:Urban Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014958:Wuchereria bancrofti