FILARIASIS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

-Ecology of Human Diseases-

Kenneth L. Frias
MS Microbiology
UPHSL
Historical Background
Species Distribution:
• W. bancrofti - sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast
Asia, Indian subcontinent, Pacific islands, and
main areas of Latin America and Caribbean
• B. malayi - China, India, Malaysia, the
Philippines, Indonesia, and Pacific islands
• B. timori - Timor Island of Indonesia
• Approximately two-thirds of individuals
infected with lymphatic filariasis are in Asia.
• The epidemiology of lymphatic filariasis is
changing due to implementation of a global
program of mass drug administration (MDA)
to eliminate transmission.
• More than 90 percent of cases of lymphatic
filariasis are due to W. bancrofti, while the
remainder is due largely to B. malayi.
• Estimates suggest that as many as 36 million
infected individuals are seriously incapacitated
and disfigured by lymphatic filariasis
At present time:
• Approximately 15 million people with
lymphatic filariasis live in Southeast Asia.
• The endemic countries are: Cambodia, Lao
People's Democratic Republic, the Philippines,
Indonesia, Thailand and Timor-Leste, which
have all agreed to eliminate transmission of
the disease by 2020.
Transmission and Life Cycle
Chronic Conditions due to
Lymphatic Filariasis
Filarial Morphology
Wuchereria bancrofti

• White in color and almost transparent.

• Male worm is smaller, 40 mm long and 100 μm
wide.
• Female is 60 to 100 mm long and 300 μm wide.
• Adult males and females are most often coiled
together and are difficult to separate.
Brugia malayi - typically smaller than adult W.
bancrofti
Brugia timori
• The microfilariae of Brugia timori are longer
and morphologically distinct from those of
Brugia malayi and Wuchereria bancrofti, with
a cephalic space length-to-width ratio of
about 3:1.
Mosquito Vectors
Filarial Species and Mosquito Vectors:
• Wuchereria bancrofti - transmitted by
Mansonia, Anopheles, and Aedes vectors
Filarial Species and Mosquito Vectors:
• Brugia malayi and Brugia timori - both
transmitted by Culex quinquefasciatus (Pacific
regions)
Next…
• Important Mosquito Vectors and Their
Relationship to Human Ecology
• Distribution in Southeast Asia
Thank you very much.