MyMedR

BACKGROUND: The term filariasis comprises a group of parasitic infections caused by helminths belonging to different genera in the superfamily Filaroidea. The human parasites occur mainly in tropical and subtropical regions, but filariae are also found in temperate climates, where they can infect wild and domestic animals. Humans are rarely infected by these zoonotic parasites.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: A 55-year-old patient presented with a new-onset, subcutaneous, non-tender palpable mass in the right axilla. Ultrasonography showed a 1.3-cm, solid, singular encapsulated node. Sonography of the breast on both sides, axilla and lymphatic drainage on the left side, lymphatic drainage on the right side, and mammography on both sides were without pathological findings. The node was excised under local anesthesia as the patient refused minimal invasive biopsy.

RESULTS: On histopathological examination, the tail of a parasite of the group of filariae was found. The patient revealed that she had stayed in Africa and Malaysia for professional reasons. 6 months before the time of diagnosis, she had also suffered from a fever and poor general condition after a trip abroad. The patient was referred for further treatment to the Institute for Tropical Medicine at the University of Dusseldorf, where a treatment with ivermectin was conducted on the basis of positive staining with antibodies against filariae.

CONCLUSION: Our case demonstrates the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration between breast center, pathology, and other specialties such as microbiology and tropical medicine.

Matched MeSH terms: Filariasis

The biology of Mansonia mosquitoes in relation to the transmission of filariasis in Malaya

WHARTON RH

Bull Inst Med Res Kuala Lumpur, 1962;11:1-114.

PMID: 14000211

Matched MeSH terms: Filariasis*

Endemic filariasis in the Federated Malay States

Poynton JO, Hodgkin EP

Bull Inst Med Res Kuala Lumpur, 1938.

Matched MeSH terms: Filariasis

Fulltext An example of Filariasis control from West Malaysia

Wilson T

Bull World Health Organ, 1969;41(2):324-9.

PMID: 5308708

Matched MeSH terms: Filariasis/diagnosis*

Fulltext A review of progress in the chemotherapy and control of filariasis since 1955

Hawking F

Bull World Health Organ, 1962;27:555-68.

PMID: 13953210

There has been little change since 1955 in the laboratory techniques for seeking new antifilarial compounds, although one valuable addition to laboratory study has been the experimental infection of cats with Brugia malayi.The chief drug for the treatment and control of filariasis-whether caused by Wuchereria bancrofti or by B. malayi-continues to be diethylcarbamazine, and the author reviews the reports recently published on its use. In India and China large-scale campaigns involving the use of this drug have been undertaken; and in Tahiti filariasis has been suppressed and almost eliminated. Campaigns on a smaller scale and pilot projects considered in this survey include those conducted in Pacific islands, Malaya, Ceylon, Brazil, Surinam and East and West Africa.It is generally agreed that the administration of diethylcarbamazine produces a great diminution in the microfilarial counts of those taking it, and in many persons both microfilariae and adult worms are eradicated. The difficulties which arise are due to toxic effects which occur in some recipients and which may adversely affect the acceptability of treatment.

Matched MeSH terms: Filariasis*

Fulltext The epidemiology and treatment of infection due to Brugia malayi

Edeson JFB

Bull World Health Organ, 1962;27(4-5):529-41.

PMID: 20604131

The author reviews the distribution, epidemiology, and treatment of filarial infection due to Brugia malayi, with special reference to Malaya. B. malayi infection in man is confined to the Far East between longitudes 75 degrees E and 140 degrees E and is essentially rural. The chief vectors are Mansonia spp., Anopheles hyrcanus group, A. barbirostris group, and Aëdes togoi. The epidemiological picture is complicated by the fact that B. malayi and other closely related species have now been found in several species of animals. The existence of an animal reservoir of infection might have important implications for filariasis control. As to the treatment of B. malayi infection, diethylcarbamazine has been found to reduce the microfilaria count and to kill the adult worms; the severe febrile reactions of microfilaria carriers to the initial doses of this drug may be reduced by administration of the steroid prednisolone.

Matched MeSH terms: Filariasis

Fulltext Observations of filariasis in Sarawak and Brunei

De Zuleta J

Bull World Health Organ, 1957;16(3):699-705.

PMID: 13472426

Matched MeSH terms: Filariasis/epidemiology*

Iron and iron oxide nanoparticles are highly toxic to Culex quinquefasciatus with little non-target effects on larvivorous fishes

Murugan K, Dinesh D, Nataraj D, Subramaniam J, Amuthavalli P, Madhavan J, et al.

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2018 Apr;25(11):10504-10514.

PMID: 28988379 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-017-0313-7

The control of filariasis vectors has been enhanced in several areas, but there are main challenges, including increasing resistance to insecticides and lack of cheap and eco-friendly products. The toxicity of iron (Fe0) and iron oxide (Fe2O3) nanoparticles has been scarcely investigated yet. We studied the larvicidal and pupicidal activity of Fe0 and Fe2O3 nanoparticles against Culex quinquefasciatus. Fe0 and Fe2O3 nanoparticles produced by green (using a Ficus natalensis aqueous extract) and chemical nanosynthesis, respectively, were analyzed by UV-Vis spectrophotometry, FT-IR spectroscopy, XRD analysis, SEM, and EDX assays. In larvicidal and pupicidal experiments on Cx. quinquefasciatus, LC50 of Fe0 nanoparticles ranged from 20.9 (I instar larvae) to 43.7 ppm (pupae) and from 4.5 (I) to 22.1 ppm (pupae) for Fe2O3 nanoparticles synthesized chemically. Furthermore, the predation efficiency of the guppy fish, Poecilia reticulata, after a single treatment with sub-lethal doses of Fe0 and Fe2O3 nanoparticles was magnified. Overall, this work provides new insights about the toxicity of Fe0 and Fe2O3 nanoparticles against mosquito vectors; we suggested that green and chemical fabricated nano-iron may be considered to develop novel and effective pesticides.

Matched MeSH terms: Filariasis

Streblus asper Lour. (Shakhotaka): A Review of its Chemical, Pharmacological and Ethnomedicinal Properties

Rastogi S, Kulshreshtha DK, Rawat AK

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med, 2006 Jun;3(2):217-22.

PMID: 16786051

Streblus asper Lour is a small tree found in tropical countries, such as India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand. Various parts of this plant are used in Ayurveda and other folk medicines for the treatment of different ailments such as filariasis, leprosy, toothache, diarrhea, dysentery and cancer. Research carried out using different in vitro and in vivo techniques of biological evaluation support most of these claims. This review presents the botany, chemistry, traditional uses and pharmacology of this medicinal plant.

Matched MeSH terms: Filariasis

Brugia malayi infection in Meriones unguiculatus: antibody response to recombinant BmR1

Lim BH, Noordin R, Nor ZM, Rahman RA, Abdullah KA, Sinnadurai S

Exp Parasitol, 2004 Sep-Oct;108(1-2):1-6.

PMID: 15491542

BmR1 recombinant antigen has previously been shown to demonstrate high sensitivity and specificity in the serological diagnosis of brugian filariasis in humans. In this study, the pattern of recognition of antibody to BmR1 during Brugia malayi infection was investigated by employing Meriones unguiculatus as the experimental model. Thirty two gerbils were infected subcutaneously with 120 L(3); and two control groups each comprising 25 animals were employed. ELISA using BmR1 was used to detect filaria-specific IgG antibodies elicited by the gerbils; using sera collected from the day 1 until day 150 post-inoculation (p.i.). The results showed that BmR1 detected B. malayi infection in gerbils harboring adult worms irrespective of the presence of circulating microfilaria, and was exemplified by positive ELISA results in nine a microfilaraemic animals that harbored live adult worms. The initial time of the antibody recognition was at day 8 p.i. and the antibody titre showed some correlation with adult worm burden.

Matched MeSH terms: Filariasis/diagnosis*; Filariasis/immunology

Fulltext Filariasis

Mak JW

Family Practitioner, 1982;5(3):23-26.

Brugia malayi and Wuchereria bancrofti infections cause lymphatic filariasis in Malaysia. About 2.5 million people live in endemic areas of filariasis, of whom 5% have microfilaraemia and probably twice as many are infected. There is a wide clinical spectrum of response to the infection. While some have asymptomatic microfilaraemia, others have episodic attacks of fever, lymphadenitis, retrograde lymphangitis and lymphoedema. Elephantiasis is a late complication. Tropical pulmonary eosinophilia and other forms of occult filariasis are due to hyper allergic reactions to microfilarial antigens. Parasitological and serological tests aid in confirming the clinical diagnosis. The drug of choice is diethylcarbamazine citrate.

Matched MeSH terms: Filariasis

Lymphatic filariasis in Malaysia

Oothuman P

Family Practitioner, 1988;11<I> </I>:84-85.

In Malaysia it was estimated in 1983 that 2.5 million people lived in endemic areas and from 1960 to 1984 more than 20,000 people were found to be infected. The more important filarial parasite is B. malayi. There are four main target areas for the control of filariasis, namely, mass or selective chemotherapy, reducing numbers of infected animal hosts, control of vectors and minimising human-vector contact.

Matched MeSH terms: Filariasis

Homologs of the Brugia malayi diagnostic antigen BmR1 are present in other filarial parasites but induce different humoral immune responses

Noordin R, Aziz RA, Ravindran B

Filaria journal, 2004 Dec 31;3(1):10.

PMID: 15627400

BACKGROUND: The recombinant antigen BmR1 has been extensively employed in both ELISA and immunochromatographic rapid dipstick (Brugia Rapid) formats for the specific and sensitive detection of IgG4 antibodies against the lymphatic filarial parasites Brugia malayi and Brugia timori. In sera of individuals infected with Wuchereria bancrofti the IgG4 reactivity to BmR1 is variable, and cross-reactivity of sera from individuals infected with Onchocerca volvulus or Loa loa was observed only in single cases. In order to characterize the homologs of the BmR1 antigen in W. bancrofti (Wb-BmR1), O. volvulus (Ov-BmR1) and L. loa (Ll-BmR1) the cDNA sequences were identified, the protein expressed and the antibody reactivity of patients' sera was studied. METHODS: PCR methodology was used to identify the cDNA sequences from cDNA libraries and/or genomic DNA of W. bancrofti, O. volvulus and L. loa. The clones obtained were sequenced and compared to the cDNA sequence of BmR1. Ov-BmR1 and Ll-BmR1 were expressed in E. coli and tested using an IgG4-ELISA with 262 serum samples from individuals with or without B. malayi, W. bancrofti, O. volvulus and L. loa infections or various other parasitic infections. BmR1, Ov-BmR1 and Ll-BmR1 were also tested for reactivity with the other three IgG subclasses in patients' sera. RESULTS: Wb-BmR1 was found to be identical to BmR1. Ov-BmR1 and Ll-BmR1 were found to be identical to each other and share 99.7% homology with BmR1. The pattern of IgG4 recognition of all serum samples to BmR1, Ov-BmR1 and Ll-BmR1 were identical. This included weak IgG4 reactivities demonstrated by L. loa- and O. volvulus-infected patients tested with Ov-BmR1 and Ll-BmR1 (or BmR1). With respect to reactivity to other IgG subclasses, sera from O. volvulus- and L. loa-infected patients showed positive reactions (when tested with BmR1, Ov-BmR1 or Ll-BmR1 antigens) only with IgG1. No reactivity was observed with IgG2 or with IgG3. Similarly, ELISAs to detect reactivity to other anti-filarial IgG subclasses antibodies showed that sera from individuals infected with B. malayi or W. bancrofti (active infections as well as patients with chronic disease) were positive with BmR1 only for IgG1 and were negative when tested with IgG2 and with IgG3 subclasses. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that homologs of the BmR1 antigen are present in W. bancrofti, O. volvulus and L. loa and that these antigens are highly conserved. Recognition of this antigen by patients' sera is similar with regard to IgG1, IgG2 and IgG3, but different for IgG4 antibodies. We conclude that the BmR1 antigen is suitable for detection of IgG4 antibodies in brugian filariasis. However, its homologs are not suitable for IgG4-based diagnosis of other filarial infections.

Matched MeSH terms: Filariasis

Fulltext Plasmodium knowlesi and Wuchereria bancrofti: Their Vectors and Challenges for the Future

Vythilingam I

Front Physiol, 2012;3:115.

PMID: 22557977 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2012.00115

Malaria and filariasis still continue to pose public health problems in developing countries of the tropics. Although plans are in progress for the elimination of both these parasitic vector borne diseases, we are now faced with a daunting challenge as we have a fifth species, Plasmodium knowlesi a simian malaria parasite affecting humans. Similarly in peninsular Malaysia, filariasis was mainly due to Brugia malayi. However, we now see cases of Wuchereria bancrofti in immigrant workers coming into the country. In order to successfully eliminate both these diseases we need to know the vectors involved and introduce appropriate control measures to prevent the diseases occurring in the future. As for knowlesi malaria it is still uncertain if human to human transmission through mosquito bites is occurring. However, P. knowlesi in human is not a rare occurrence anymore and has all the characteristics of a pathogen spreading due to changes in the ecosystem, international travel, and cross border migration. This has created a more complex situation. In order to overcome these challenges we need to revamp our control measures. This paper reviews the vectors of malaria and filariasis in Southeast Asia with special emphasis on P. knowlesi and W. bancrofti in Malaysia and their control strategies.

Matched MeSH terms: Filariasis

A review of recent research on filariasis in Malaya

LAING AB

Indian J Malariol, 1960 Dec;14:391-408.

PMID: 13758336

Matched MeSH terms: Filariasis/epidemiology*

Testicular mass: do not forget filariasis

Ho CC, Ideris N

Infection, 2013 Aug;41(4):893-6.

PMID: 23471824 DOI: 10.1007/s15010-013-0443-x

Parasite infestation of the testicular tunica and spermatic cord by filariae are rarely reported and may present with few clinical signs, depending upon the stage. Occasionally, it may mimic a testicular tumor. We present a case of a 29-year-old man who presented with left testicular swelling and discomfort for 4 months. Clinical examination and imaging suggested an intrascrotal cystic lesion with a normal left testis. However, the intraoperative findings revealed a tumor-like mass; hence, a left orchidectomy was performed. However, histopathology reported a diagnosis of a cystic testicular tunica and spermatic cord with parasite infection. Here, we review the literature of scrotal and testicular parasite disease and discuss the course of the appropriate management involved.

Matched MeSH terms: Filariasis/diagnosis*; Filariasis/pathology

Sensitivity of the nested-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for Brugia malayi and significance of 'free' DNA in PCR-based assays

Cox-Singh J, Pomrehn AS, Wolfe ND, Rahman HA, Lu HY, Singh B

Int J Parasitol, 2000 Oct;30(11):1177-9.

PMID: 11027784

The blood filtration method was used as the gold standard to determine the detection level of simple blood-spot sampling and nested-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for Brugia malayi. Of 100 samples, 48 were filtration-positive. Of these, 26 had microfilaria counts that were low enough (<1-29 microfilariae/ml) to accurately assess the limit of detection by nested-PCR. Nested-PCR consistently detected B. malayi DNA in samples with > or = 10 microfilariae/ml. Post-filtration, microfilaria-depleted, blood-spots from microfilaria-positive samples were screened by nested-PCR and B. malayi specific 'free' DNA was detected in 51.7% of these samples. There was no evidence for 'free' DNA in microfilaria-negative individuals from this endemic community.

Matched MeSH terms: Filariasis/blood; Filariasis/diagnosis*

Displaying publications 21 - 40 of 172 in total