title: Prevalence and intensity of Wuchereria bancrofti antigenaemia in Sri Lanka by Og4C3 ELISA using filter paper-absorbed whole blood.
abstract: In Sri Lanka 2741 people from Matara, an endemic area for Wuchereria bancrofti, were examined in 1996/97 for microfilariae by 60-microL blood smear and for circulating filarial antigens by Og4C3 ELISA using filter paper-absorbed whole blood. The overall prevalence of microfilaraemia was 3.4%, and that of antigenaemia 14.4%. The prevalence of antigen-positive and microfilaria-negative people was 11.3%. Analysed by age-group, antigenaemia prevalence was similar in all groups, and the average number of antigen units was already very high in the age-group < 10 years, indicating that the infection started in early childhood. Among those who were antigen positive, the microfilaria prevalence was lower in females than in males. Diethylcarbamazine treatment eliminated microfilariae in 78% of the positives. However, 17 months after the treatment, antigenaemia was still positive in 76% of those who were parasitologically cured.
authors.affiliation: Filariasis Research Unit, Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ruhuna, P. O. Box 70, Galle, Sri Lanka.
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Weerasooriya
authors.forename: N K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Gunawardena
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Itoh
authors.forename: X G
authors.initials: XG
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kimura
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000947:Antigens, Helminth / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004049:Diethylcarbamazine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005368:Filariasis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D005369:Filaricides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D013188:Sri Lanka / Q000453:epidemiology; D014958:Wuchereria bancrofti / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000947:Antigens, Helminth; D005369:Filaricides; D004049:Diethylcarbamazine