Historical review of Brugian Filariasis and its present status in Sri Lanka.

Abstract

In the present study, phase I and phase II surveys jointly covered all 21 foci which represent the areas in which brugian filariasis existed in the past. However, an account of the ethnic problems which surfaced during the period of study, it was not possible to carry out the entomological and clinical surveys in all these areas as envisaged in the original project plan. However, the main component of this study was the parasitological survey, and the results indicate that a very low level of transmission of bancroftian filariasis exists in about half the areas examined, which were highly endemic for brugian filariasis 46 years ago. In the population surveyed (53,875), during the period 1981-1985 not a single case of B.malayi microfilaraemia was detected and none of the mansonia mosquitoes dissected during the period were infected with the parasite. This evidence strongly supports the view that B.malayi infection has been completely eradicated from Sri Lanka