A pilot scheme to eradicate bancroftian filariasis with diethylcarbamazine: Results of the first year's treatment

Abstract

1. 1) Different doses of diethylcarbamazine were given to the whole population of three areas of Ukara Island in Lake Victoria at monthly or 2-monthly intervals. 2. 2) On re-examining the blood of originally positive cases at the end of a year, only 18 of 91 persons who had 200 mg. of drug monthly were positive (19.7 per cent). 3. 3) Where 200 mg. had been given in alternate months, 34 out of 87 (39 per cent.) persons were positive at the end of 1 year's treatment, and where 100 mg. had been given monthly, 19 out of 59 (32 per cent.) were still positive. 4. 4) The results suggest that a group with a high mean microfilarial count requires more drug than a group with a lower mean microfilarial count. 5. 5) There was evidence that a “hard core” of microfilariae may require a higher concentration of drug for their eradication. The importance of these residual microfilariae as a source of infective larvae was discussed with reference to the vast numbers of A. gambiae in the areas of Ukara under review. 6. 6) It is suggested that in future schemes persons with microfilariae should receive a higher dose of drug than the uninfected people in the population.