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.
A total of 941 screening tests for HBV antigen and antibody were done. These included 342 male adults, 492 female adults and 107 children under 15 years. Most of them had no clinical symptoms. There were 18 cases of active hepatitis of various causes. Percentage of positive for HBsAg: adult male 12.3%, adult female 6.5%, children under 15 years 1.9%, overall 8.1%. Percentage of positive for anti-HBs antibody: 18.5%.
Study site: private laboratory, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia