Control of malaria outbreak due to Plasmodium vivax in Aswan governorate, Egypt

In 2014, after several years of maintaining zero malaria indigenous cases, Egypt had an outbreak of Plasmodium vivax: 21 confirmed cases during May-June 2014. In response to the outbreak, the Ministry of Health and Population [MoHP] launched an emergency response through early detection and prompt treatment of cases, vector control, public education and intersectoral collaboration. Twenty cases [95.2%] were residents of El-Sheikh Mostafa village, Edfu district, Aswan governorate, southern Egypt. All cases, consequent to the index case were identified through house-to-house surveillance visits. One P. falciparum-infected case was also identified in the same village. Treatment of all infected cases was initiated following laboratory confirmation. The MoHP's rapid response to and containment of the outbreak demonstrates the institutional capacity for detection and control of outbreaks which can occur after elimination

Impact of polystyrene beads as a mosquito control measure to supplement lymphatic filariasis elimination activities in Socotra Island, Yemen

Lymphatic filariasis [LF] is targeted for worldwide elimination. In Yemen, all mainland implementation units met the WHO criteria for stopping mass drug administration [MDA] after 5 rounds. However, in Socotra Island these criteria were not met. Our study evaluated the efficacy of applying expanded polystyrene beads [EPBs] on the Culex population and the effect on LF transmission. Human and mosquito surveys were conducted in 40 randomly selected households in Hadibo [capital of Socotra] before and after application of EPBs. The EPBs intervention resulted in a reduction in mosquito density of 80% and a 64.3% reduction in microfilaria prevalence. The majority of interviewed households [98%] thought EPBs considerably reduced the mosquito population. After the intervention all collected pools tested negative. Application of EPBs is an effective supplement to MDA for achieving the goal of LF elimination

retrospective hospital study of human cystic echinococcosis in Egypt

We performed a retrospective study to determine annual clinical incidence of human cystic echinococcosis [CE] in 14 Egyptian hospitals between January 1997 and December 1999. From 492 353 records examined, 133 [0.027%] new human CE cases were recorded. Of these, 50 [37.6%] were from Alexandria and Matrouh hospitals, 33 [24.8%] from Giza Chest Hospital and 50 from other regions. Matrouh governorate had the highest annual clinical incidence [1.34-2.60 per 100 000] followed by Giza governorate [0.80-1.16 per 100 000]. About a third of those affected were aged

Lymphatic filariasis in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: current status and prospects for elimination

Lymphatic filariasis [LF] represents a major public health problem in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. The disease is endemic or suspected in several countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region. Recent advances in diagnosis and therapy led the World Health Assembly to pass a resolution in 1997 calling for "the elimination of lymphatic filariasis as a public health problem." The elimination strategy is based on rounds of mass drug administration of an annual single-dose of combined drug regimens for 5-6 consecutive years. Subsequent steps included formation of a Regional Programme Review Group to orient national LF control programmes towards the concept of elimination, provide advice, review each national plan of action and review annual reports. To date, Egypt and the Republic of Yemen have active national LF elimination programmes, however, elimination activities in the Republic of Yemen are still restricted to certain identified endemic regions. Other countries in the Region are on their way to verifying the situation and if LF is proved to be endemic, will start mapping endemic localities. This review sheds light on the status of LF elimination activities in the Region and highlights some of the major accomplishments

Filariasis elimination in Egypt: impact of low microfilaraemics as sources of infection for mosquitoes

The elimination strategy for lymphatic filariasis aims at reducing blood microfilaraemia to levels at which vector transmission cannot be sustained. We aimed to determine whether patients with pre-treatment low or ultra-low microfilaria [MF] counts could be a reservoir of infection after mass drug administration [MDA] with a combined regimen. Laboratory-reared mosquitoes were fed on 30 volunteers after 2 rounds of MDA. Microfilaria uptake, infectivity rates and number of Wuchereria bancrofti L3 per mosquito were assessed. One year after MDA-1, 6 subjects transmitted MF, but up to 9 months after MDA-2 transmission failed. Six months after MDA-2 > 90% had clear MF smears and either failed to transmit MF or transmitted MF that did not develop to L3. We conclude that the transmission cycle is seriously weakened after MDA-2

longitudinal study of Schistosome intermediate host snail populations and their trematode infection in certain areas of Egypt

The seasonal variation of Biomphalaria alexandrina and Bulinus truncatus populations and their infection rates with schistosome and other trematode cercariae were studied longitudinally in four water courses located in Giza and Fayoum governorates. The abundance of both species varied from year to year and according to the type of habitat. The mean prevalence of Schistosoma mansoni in Biomphalaria was 0.29% and that of S. Haematobium in Bulinus was 1.36%. The seasonal variations of age structure of the two vector snails were monitored throughout the survey period. Infection rates with schistosome and other trematodes among Bulinus and Biomphalaria increased with the increase in snail size. Data suggested the occurrence of an antagonistic interaction between schistosome and non- human cercariae, especially echinostome in infected snails