Surveillance ofbancroftianfilariasis in some foci in Sohag, Middle Egypt

Abstract

Bancroftianfilariasis (BF) is a debilitating disease that has plagued Egypt since the time of the pharaohs. Egypt is the first large endemic country in the world to reach the five-year mark in its national anti BF campaign. Now that the mass treatments are completed, a follow-up epidemiological assessment will reveal whether this large-scale pioneering campaign has been successful in finally eliminating the disease.Hence the aim of the present work was to detect the prevalence of BF inTema, El-Maragha, Akhmeem and Girga districts in Sohag Governorate. Finger prick thick blood films were collected from 500 clinically suspected individuals representing different sexes and ages from May 2015 to February 2017.Fourpatients (0.8%) were suffering from BF; threewere microfilariaemicwhile one chronic case was detected with severe chronic elephantiasis that was amicrofilaraemic but was confirmed serologicallyby by a private laboratory. It was concluded thatBF is still endemic in three districts (Tema, El-maragha and Girga); although in few sporadic cases, the problem should be taken seriously as one microfilaramic patient could be a patent reservoir for spreading of the disease through infecting the prevailingCulexpipienseintermediate host.