• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.153-159
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• 2011

A total of 286 individuals from 3 selected communities (Areedi-Aje, Ipakodo/Ojokodo, and Ijebu-Igbo) of Ijebu-North, southwestern Nigeria were examined for Loa loa microfilaremia using finger prick blood smear, between December 2008 and March 2009. Rapid assessment procedure for loiasis (RAPLOA) was used to obtain information, from 187 Ijebu-Igbo residents, on adverse reactions experienced from retrospective treatments with ivermectin and history of eye worm. Only 33.9% of the respondents reported having had a history of eye worm while 33.2% had microfilaremia. The demographic factor of gender was not significant determinants of the prevalence (p>0.05) while age was significant (P<0.05). The highest prevalence of eye worm history and microfilaremia were recorded in 61-70 and 15-20 years of age categories, respectively. Ijebu-Igbo had 27.3% eye worm history, 32.1% microfilaremia, and the highest intensity of 140 microfilariae (mf)/ml. Ipakodo area had the highest eye worm history of 54.4% and the highest intensity of 420 mf/ml. Areedi-Aje had the highest occurrence of 45.2% microfilaremia and the highest intensity of 460 mf/ml. Predictably, Areedi-Aje and Ipakodo areas were high risk communities. The low intensity of L. loa infection with an insignificant (2.1%; P>0.05) adverse reactions from 187 subjects involved in the retrospective ivermectin administration confirmed that ivermectin delivery may be considered safe. The community-directed treatment with ivermectin (CDTI) programme was most probably responsible for the low prevalence and intensity.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.49-52
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• 2009

Clinical manifestations of extralymphatic disease caused by filariasis are varied and range from symptoms due to tropical pulmonary eosinophilia to hematuria, proteinuria, splenomegaly, and rarely arthritis. Disseminated microfilaremia in association with loculated lung cyst and empyema is of rare occurrence and to the best of our knowledge has not been documented in the literature so far. We report here a case of disseminated microfilaremia due to Wuchereria bancrofti infection accompanied by a lung cyst and empyema in a 21-year-old Indian man.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.759-761
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• 2013

Lymphatic filariasis is a common parasitic disease of cats in tropical regions including Thailand. The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of ivermectin against microfilariae of Brugia pahangi in naturally infected cats. Eight cats naturally infected with B. pahangi were divided into control (untreated) and treated groups. Cats in the latter group were given ivermectin injection at 400 ${\mu}g/kg$ weekly for 2 months. Microfilariae were counted every week until 48 weeks. Microfilaremia was significantly decreased in the treated group 4 weeks after starting the treatment and become zero at week 9 and afterwards. On the other hand, cats in the control group had high microfilaremia throughout the study. It was successful to treat and control B. pahangi infection in naturally infected cats using ivermectin.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.69-73
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• 2003

Lymphatic filariasis due to Brugia malayi infection was endemic in several areas of South Korea. The infection was controlled, or disappeared, in most areas, with the exception of the remote southwestern islands of Jeonranam-do, including the Heugsan Islands. To discover its current situation, a small-scale survey was performed on the Heugsan islands in September 2000. A total of 378 people, 151 male and 227 female, living in 8 villages (6 on Daeheugsan-do, 1 on Daejang-do, and 1 on Yeongsan-do) were subjected to a night blood survey for microfilaremia, and physical examination for elephantiasis on the extremities. There were 6 (1.6%) microfilaria positive cases, all in females aged 57-72 years, and from only two villages of the Daeheugsan-do area. There were 4 patients with lower leg elephantiasis, but they showed no microfilaremia. The results show that a low-grade endemicity of filariasis remains on the Daeheugsan-do.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.729-739
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• 2000

Echocardiography, vital signs, microfilaremia, and blood chemistry of 12 Jindo dogs naturally infected with canine heartworms (Dirofilaria immitis) were analysed and compared with those of 5 uninfected control Jindo dogs. Nine of the twelve infected dogs contained microfiaria in the peripheral blood, whereas the presence of adult heartworms in the pulmonary arteries and/or in the heart was detected from four dogs by echocardiography. Among the four echocardiography-positive dogs, two dogs also displayed evidence of heartworms in the right ventricle by echocardiography. Upon necropsy, a total of 547 adult worms was collected from the 12 infected dogs (av = 45.6, range = 9-166). Dogs with positive echocardiograpic images of heartworms contained 48, 74, 104 and 166 adult worms in the heart, pulmonary arteries and/or in the caudal vena cava (av. 98.0), whereas 9 to 39 worms (av. 19.4) were collected from those organs of dogs with negative echocardiography. Most heartworms were found in the right ventricle (438, 80%) at necropsy, whereas relatively fewer worms were found in the pulmonary arteries (96, 17.6%), and in the caudal vena cava (13, 2.4%). The necropsy findings on the location of adult worms significantly differed from the results of echocardiographic analysis in which the right ventricle of most dogs did not show the presence of heartworms. These results indicated that the adult heartworms had been located in the terminal branches of the pulmonary arteries when the host was alive, but the worms moved toward the right ventricle shortly after the heart of the infected dogs stopped beating. Microfilaremia in the peripheral blood was the highest in the blood samples collected at 10 pm. However, the correlation between the number of microfilaria and of adult worms was not observed. Clinical and vital signs of infected dogs did not show any significant difference before and after a 30 minute-exercise at 5 km/hr compared to those of uninfected control dogs.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.453-455
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• 2013

Heartworm infection is a fatal disease causing heart failure and pulmonary diseases in dogs. This heartworm infection can also occur in wild carnivores including Raccoon dogs. Recent study found that relatively high prevalence rate in wild Raccoon dog population. Therefore, this study was designed to evaluate the prevalence rate of D. immitis in free-roaming Raccoon dogs and the recovery rate of microfilariae in infected Raccoon dogs in Korea. Overall prevalence rate of D. immitis in Korean Raccoon dogs was 17.8%. Prevalence rate in male Raccoon dogs was 21.8%, while that in female Raccoon dogs was 12.8%. Microfilariae were not detected in 17 Raccoon dogs having positive in heartworm antigen test. Our study result suggested that the prevalence rate of D. immitis in Korea is twice higher than that of Japan. In addition, microfilaremia is rare in Raccoon dogs as commonly noticed in cats.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.323-335
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• 2009

A successful experience of lymphatic filariasis control in the Republic of Korea is briefly reviewed. Filariasis in the Republic of Korea was exclusively caused by infection with Brugia malayi. Over the past several decades from the 1950s to 2006, many investigators exerted their efforts to detection, treatment, and follow-up of filariasis patients in endemic areas, and to control filariasis. Mass, combined with selective, treatments with diethylcarbamazine to microfilaria positive persons had been made them free from microfilaremia and contributed to significant decrease of the microfilarial density in previously endemic areas. Significant decrease of microfilaria positive cases in an area influenced eventually to the endemicity of filariasis in the relevant locality. Together with remarkable economic growth followed by improvement of environmental and personal hygiene and living standards, the factors stated above have contributed to blocking the transmission cycle of B. malayi and led to disappearance of this mosquito-borne ancient disease in the Republic of Korea.