A review of the present status of lymphatic filariasis in Vietnam

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Establishing the current status of an infectious disease forms the starting point of any attempt at parasite control. Although data on the prevalence and distribution of lymphatic filariasis exist for Vietnam from the early 1900s, the present situation regarding the disease is less well-known. Here, we review the results of recent surveys conducted by the Institute of Malariology, Parasitology and Entomology, Hanoi, to update the existing information on filariasis epidemiology and distribution for this country. The present results are from surveys carried out on some 135 000 individuals in 24 provinces of Vietnam. The highest prevalences of microfilaraemia (primarily Brugia malayi) are observed in lowland areas of the Red River Delta and in Quang-binh Province where the survey results show microfilaraemia (mf) prevalences in the range of 0.9–5.5%. The most common type of chronic clinical manifestation is shown to be leg elephantiasis. A significant finding is that an overall decrease in mf prevalence was observed to occur in five communities which were surveyed twice over an 11–21-year period, even though no interventions were carried out between the two surveys. The changes are probably caused by environmental changes, such as increased standards of housing and drainage. Studies on the effect of selective chemotherapy and mass chemotherapy using diethylcarbamazine showed reductions in community mf prevalences of 69 and 72–88%, respectively. Furthermore, cats do not appear to represent significant reservoirs of infection. These findings of geographical restriction of infection, effective and well-tolerated drug therapy, low significance of animal reservoirs, together with the existence of an effective national health network, suggest a good prognosis for the control of filariasis in this country.