Mathematical models and lymphatic filariasis control: endpoints and optimal interventions.
The current global initiative to eliminate lymphatic filariasis is a major renewed commitment to reduce or eliminate the burden of one of the major helminth infections from resource-poor communities of the world. Mathematical models of filariasis transmission can serve as an effective tool for guiding the scientific development and management of successful community-level intervention programmes by acting as analytical frameworks for integrating knowledge regarding parasite transmission dynamics with programmatic factors. However, the power of these tools for supporting control interventions will be realized fully only if researchers address the current uncertainties and gaps in data and knowledge of filarial population dynamics and the effectiveness of currently proposed filariasis intervention options.
Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College School of Medicine, Norfolk Place, London W2 1PG, UK. e.michael@imperial.ac.uk
Edwin
E
Michael
Mwele N
MN
Malecela-Lazaro
Conrad
C
Kabali
Lucy C
LC
Snow
James W
JW
Kazura
D000818:Animals; D004605:Elephantiasis, Filarial / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005369:Filaricides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008433:Mathematics; D008954:Models, Biological; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009032:Mosquito Control / Q000379:methods*; D015995:Prevalence; D014958:Wuchereria bancrofti / Q000187:drug effects / Q000472:pathogenicity
D005369:Filaricides