title: Prevalence of endemic Bancroftian filariasis in the high altitude region of south-eastern Nigeria.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The study was aimed at determining the prevalence and intensity of Wuchereria bancrofti microfilaraemia in a high altitude region of south-eastern Nigeria, and ascertaining the prevalence of clinical signs and symptoms associated with the filarial infections.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thick smear of 50 μl finger-prick blood collected at night between 2200 and 0200 hrs from consenting persons were stained with Giemsa and examined microscopically in a cross-sectional study. Consenting individuals were examined for various gradations of hydrocele, limb and scrotal elephantiasis by qualified medical personnel.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of W. bancrofti microfilaraemia was 4.3%, highest in the older people but comparable in both sexes. The overall micro filarial (mf) geometric mean intensity (GMI) among mf positive individuals was 123 mf/ml of blood (138 mf/ml for males and 110 mf/ml of blood for females); and rose significantly with increasing age (one-way analysis of variance; p <0.001). Prevalence of clinical manifestations was: hydrocele (7.1%), scrotal elephantiasis (4%), and limb elephantiasis (6%). The mf GMI was significantly higher among those without hydrocele or limb elephantiasis than among those with the clinical manifestations (t-test; p <0.05 for both tests); the opposite was the case for scrotal elephantiasis, (t-test; p <0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Filariasis is endemic in the high altitude region of south-eastern Nigeria. The chronic clinical manifestations observed there underscore the need for urgent combination therapy interventions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Cross River University of Technology, Calabar, Nigeria. drecuttah@yahoo.com
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Uttah
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000531:Altitude; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004605:Elephantiasis, Filarial / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D005121:Extremities / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005368:Filariasis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D005843:Geography; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012611:Scrotum / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D017678:Sex Distribution; D006848:Testicular Hydrocele / Q000175:diagnosis; D014958:Wuchereria bancrofti