Filarial granuloma in breast.

A case of filarial granuloma in breast in a 59-year-old female is reported. Adult worm was identified in a breast nodule.

Microfilariae in fine needle aspirates: a report of 22 cases.

The objective of the study is to document the value of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in the diagnosis of filariasis at all possible sites in both exfoliative cytologic material and fine needle aspirates. Both unguided and guided FNACs of all foci were studied over a period of two years between 1999 to 2000. Total 22 cases of filariasis were detected which included subcutaneous swellings(7), breast(3), thyroid(3), lymphnodes(3), effusions(3), cervical scrape(1), eyeball(1), sputum(1) and bronchial washing(1). In none of these cases was filariasis considered a diagnostic possibility. Cytologic smears showed eosinophils in 9 cases, oval ova and embryonated eggs in 2 cases. Microfilariae were associated with other diseases in 13 cases, including 6 cases of malignancy. Significant adherence of inflammatory cells and macrophages to microfilariae was present in 6 of the 22 cases. In endemic areas,filariasis should be considered one of the differential diagnosis of a swelling. Thus demonstration and identification of the parasite in cytologic smears played a significant role in the prompt recognition of the disease and institution of specific treatment, thus obviating the more severe manifestations of lymphatic frilariasis.

Breast filariasis diagnosed by fine needle aspiration cytology--a case report.

We report a case of female who presented with a lump in the right breast. Fine needle aspiration cytology of lump revealed numerous adult filarial worms. Common habitat of the adult filarial worms is the lymphatic vessels and lymph nodes of limbs and their occurrence in breast is uncommon.

Recent advances in diagnostic techniques in filariasis.

Accurate diagnosis of human filarial infections still remains a problem for clinicians and co-ordinators of filariasis control programs. Diagnosis of filariasis is based on parasitological, histopathological, clinical and immunological approaches. No significant advances have been made for the first three approaches although some refinements in their use and interpretation of results have occurred. For the immunological approach, intradermal tests and antibody detection assays using crude parasite extracts generally lack specificity and/or sensitivity to discriminate between past and present filarial infections in humans. Antigen detection assays would therefore provide a more accurate indication of active filarial infections. Several monoclonal antibodies to various stages of lymphatic filarial parasites have been developed and appear potentially useful for filarial antigen detection.

Filariasis and its control in Fujian, China.

Epidemiological survey of filariasis in Fujian Province, China showed that malayan filariasis, transmitted by Anopheles lesteri anthropophagus was mainly distributed in the northwest part and bancroftian filariasis with Culex quinquefasciatus as vector, in middle and south coastal regions. Both species of filariae showed typical nocturnal periodicity. Involvement of the extremities was not uncommon in malayan filariasis. In contrast, hydrocele was often present in bancroftian filariasis, in which limb impairment did not appear so frequently as in the former. Hetrazan treatment was administered to the microfilaremia cases identified during blood examination surveys, which were integrated with indoor residual spraying of insecticides in endemic areas of malayan filariasis when the vector mosquito was discovered and with mass treatment with hetrazan medicated salt in endemic areas of bancroftian filariasis. At the same time the habitation condition was improved. These factors facilitated the decrease in incidence. As a result malayan and bancroftian filariasis were proclaimed to have reached the criterion of basic elimination in 1985 and 1987 respectively. Surveillance was pursued thereafter and no signs of resurgence appeared.

Separación de antígenos de Dirofilaria immitis: II cromatografía en DEAE-celulosa / Separation of Dirofilaria immitis antigens : II DEAE-cellulose chromatography

Se utilizó la cromatografía DEAE celulosa a un pH 7,2 con solución amortiguadora Tris-HCL 0,1 M y utilizando un gradiente salino lineal con cloruro de sodio y resultó adecuada para separar fracciones antigénicas a partir de un extracto soluble de parásitos adultos de Dirofilaria immitis. Se lograron obtener 19 fracciones, una de las cuales presentó cierto grado de especificidad para la filariasis según los resultados obtenidos empleando la contrainmunoelectroforesis

Separación de antígenos de Dirofilaria immitis I: estudio preliminar del fraccionamiento por cromatografía de intercambio iónico / Separation of antigens of Dirofilaria immitis I: preliminary study of fractionation by ion-exchange chromatography

Se describe la selección de condiciones cromatográficas en DEAE-celulosa para el fraccionamiento de un extracto de parásitos adultos de Dirofilaria immitis. Es determinante el empleo de un gradiente de elución con cloruro de sodio en la resolución cromatográfica del extracto. Se logran obtener alrededor de 13 fracciones importantes. Se utilizó la electroforesis en geles de poliacrilamida para el análisis del fraccionamiento

Infecçäo natural do Holochilus Brasiliensis Nanus Thomas, 1897 (Rodentia, cricetidae) por Litomosoides carinii / Natural infection of Holochilius brasiliensis nanus Thomas, 1897 (Rodentia, Cricetidae) by Litomosoides carinii

É registrada a infecçäo natural do Holochilus brasiliensis nanus, um pequeno roedor semi-aquático da Baixada Ocidental do Estado do Maranhäo, Brasil, por Litomosoides carinii

Parasitological and entomological studies on filariasis in seven villages, Serian District, Sarawak, East Malaysia.

A total of 82 persons have been found to be positive for microfilaria a sub-periodic Brugia malayi out of 1,613 examined in seven villages in Serian District. This represents an average microfilaria infection rate of 5.1% with a range of zero to 10.7%. It is found that males are more predominantly affected than females with a ratio of 3:1. It is also confirmed that Mansonia dives and M. bonneae are possible vectors for the transmission of the disease although Anopheles species cannot be ruled out owing to the small number of specimens examined. The study is confined to areas where indoor DDT spraying has been done since 1960 and only in two of the areas it has been terminated in 1966. Yet to be published data shows higher filaria infection rate than any of these villages.

Blood parasites of wild and domestic animals from South Kalimantan (Borneo), Indonesia.

Wild and domestic animals trapped from forests, villages, and rice fields in South Kalimantan (3 degrees 20' S, 115 degrees 02' E, 25 m) were examined for blood parasites using Giemsa stained thick and thin blood films and Nuclepore filter preparations of peripheral vein and heart puncture blood. Presbytis cristatus (silvered leaf monkey) (25%) and Felis catus (domestic cat) (7%) were infected with Brugia malayi and B. pahangi. In addition, P. cristatus was infected with Wuchereria kalimantani (35%); Cardiofilaria sp. (1%) and Dirofilaria sp. (1%). Microfilariae of Cardiofilaria were also recovered from Callosciurus notatus (squirrel), Pitta sordida (bird), Pycnonotus goiavier (bird) and Gallus gallus (bird). Paradoxurus hermaphroditus (civet) and Muntiacus muncak (barking deer), were positive for Dirofilaria sp. Bos indicus (cow) for Onchocerca sp. and Nectarinia jugularis (bird) for Splendidofilaria sp. Plasmodium coatneyi was found in 22% of the P. cristatus examined. Plasmodium sp. was also recovered from Zaocys fuscus and Ahaetulla prasina (reptile); Muscicapa sp. Lonchura malacca, Orthotomus sericeus, Rhipidura javanica, Treron vernans, Pycnonotus melanoleucus and G. gallus (bird). In addition 39% of the Cynopterus brachyotis and 29% of C. horsfieldi (fruit bats) were infected with Hepatocystis pteropi. A single G. gallus was infected with Leucocytozoon sabrazesi and another with Trypanosoma sp.

Repeated infections of Brugia pahangi in the jird, Meriones unguiculatus.

Male jirds, Meriones unguiculatus, were subcutaneously inoculated in the groin with 1 to 5 doses of infective-stage larvae of Brugia pahangi at weekly or monthly intervals. When a dose of either 25 or 75 larvae or 4 weekly doses of 25 larvae were given, 15-16% of the larvae were recovered as adults approximately 4 to 7 months post inoculation. Only 8-10% of the larvae were recovered if 4 weekly or 5 monthly doses of 75 larvae each were given. After an inoculation of 75 larvae, 25% of the worms were recovered at 30 days. The 30 day-old population consisted of an average of 10 female and 8.8 male worms. Jirds previously inoculated with 4 weekly or 5 monthly doses were challenged with an additional 75 larvae 30 days prior to necropsy. An average of only 4.5 thirty day-old female worms were recovered in these cases, presenting a 55% decrease as compared to the single inoculation situation. There was some decrease in the mean length of female worms in multiply-inoculated jirds, but no difference in the mean lengths of the male worm population from singly or multiply-inoculated jirds was observed. No differences in prepatent periods or in patterns of microfilaraemia were observed in singly or multiply-inoculated jirds.

Studies with Brugia pahangi. 11. Measurement of lymph flow in infected cats.

Rates of lymph flow in cats were measured by calculating the disappearance of radioactive colloidal gold (198Au) from the feet of (1) uninfected cats, (2) cats infected for various periods after primary infection with Brugia pahangi, and (3) cats repeatedly challenged with B. pahangi infective larvae over long periods. The results of the study showed that (1) there is great variation in gold disappearance rates in different cats in all 3 groups above, (2) the cat lymphatic system is functionally highly efficient, and (3) in a cat with lymphoedema and early elephantiasis, there was a significant impairment of gold removal from the affected foot. The study proved useful in finding lymph drainage rates in the various animals but did not, as hoped, show any pattern of lymph flow decrease which might have enabled the use of the technique as a diagnostic tool for lymphatic pathology prior to the occurrence of external clinical manifestations of filariasis.

Studies on filariasis in the Pacific. 5. Brugia malayi filariasis in treated and untreated populations of South Borneo.

A blood survey employing membrane filter concentration (MFC) and examination of stained 20 c.mm thick blood films as diagnostic methods was carried out in Banjar Regency of South Borneo, an area of endemic B. malayi filariasis. In untreated populations the mf rate, as revealed by MFC, ranged from 23.2% for the 5-9 year old group to 43.7% for the greater than 50 year old group. For all age groups approximately one half of the microfilaraemias were of a low grade nature, diagnosed by MFC only. In a population that had been subjected to mass DEC administration 1 1/2 years prior to this survey, the MFC-diagnosed rate was 15%. Approximately two thirds of these infections were of very low density, the average density being 2.2 mf/ml.