title: Lymphatic filariasis in western Ethiopia with special emphasis on prevalence of Wuchereria bancrofti antigenaemia in and around onchocerciasis endemic areas.
abstract: Lymphatic filariasis is known to be endemic in Gambella Region, western Ethiopia, but the full extent of its endemicity in other regions is unknown. A national mapping program for Ethiopia was initiated in 2008. This report summarizes initial data on the prevalence of Wuchereria bancrofti antigenaemia based on surveys carried out in a sampled population of 11685 individuals living in 125 villages (112 districts) of western Ethiopia. The overall prevalence rate was 3.7%, but high geographical clustering and variation in prevalence (ranging from 0% to more than 50%) was found. The prevalence of hydrocele (in males) and lymphoedema of limbs was 0.8% and 3.6% respectively. Significantly higher (χ(2)=49.6; P<0.01) prevalence of antigenaemia was noted in known onchocerciasis endemic districts (4.7%) compared to non-onchocerciasis endemic districts (2.3%). Thirty-four of the 112 districts, with a population of 1547685 in 2007, were found to be endemic. Of these, the numbers of districts with prevalence rates of >20%, 10-20% and 5-9% were nine, 14 and 20 respectively. Twenty-nine of these 34 endemic districts were found in three regions: Gambella Region (seven districts), Beneshangul-Gumuz Region (13 districts), and Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Region (SNNPR) (nine districts). The other five were from Amhara (two districts) and Oromia (three districts) regions. A tentative distribution map has been drawn to facilitate the launching of the Ethiopia LF elimination program.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology (DMIP); Faculty of Medicine, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Welelta
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Shiferaw
authors.forename: Tadesse
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kebede
authors.forename: Patricia M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Graves
authors.forename: Lemu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Golasa
authors.forename: Teshome
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gebre
authors.forename: Aryc W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Mosher
authors.forename: Abiot
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tadesse
authors.forename: Heven
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sime
authors.forename: Tariku
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lambiyo
authors.forename: K N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Panicker
authors.forename: Frank O
authors.initials: FO
authors.lastname: Richards
authors.forename: Asrat
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hailu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000947:Antigens, Helminth / Q000097:blood*; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004605:Elephantiasis, Filarial / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D019353:Endemic Diseases / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005002:Ethiopia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008209:Lymphedema / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D009855:Onchocerciasis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D015995:Prevalence; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D006848:Testicular Hydrocele / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D014958:Wuchereria bancrofti / Q000276:immunology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000947:Antigens, Helminth; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic