Mass drug treatment for filariasis in Iloilo at 86% coverage

According to Dr. Maria Socorro Colmenares Quinon of the Provincial Health Office in Iloilo, a good turnout in the third round of treatments achieved 86.66% coverage.

The Provincial Health Office is working on the eradication of the parasitic disease in the province to achieve filarial-free status.

Quinon told the Philippine Information Agency, “We should not underestimate the threat posed by filariasis,” Quinon said as she urged the public to support their mass drug administration again in October this year”.

Filariasis is a mosquito-borne parasitic disease that may not manifest itself for years or decades after the initial infection.

The 3 species of these parasites are Wuchereria bancrofti; which is more widely distributed; Asia, Africa, India, South America and some Caribbean Islands.

And then there’s Brugia malayi and B. timori which are more restricted to parts of Asia.

These parasites are transmitted by several species of mosquito; Culex, Anopheles, Aedes and Mansonia depending on the geographic area.

When the mosquito takes a blood meal on a person, it injects parasitic larvae onto the skin, where it penetrates the bite wound.

Most infections are asymptomatic. Any disease present may be due to immune response. If the infection persists the chronic stages of disease develop.

It will then go into an inflammatory stage where lymphadema, orchitis and hydrocele occur.

The obstructive stage of the disease is called elephantiasis. In this stage, which may take years, there is a blockage of lymph flow due to masses of worms. Tissue becomes fibrotic and skin thickens.

Enlarged legs, arms, mammary glands and genitalia are classic appearances of elephantiasis.