Current status of filariasis in Indonesia.

ABSTRACT

Filariasis in Indonesia is widely distributed. Three species consisting of 5 ecologically different types have been identified infecting man. Compared to older data, infection rates are much lower, partly due to environmental change and partly as a result of control programs. Various dosage treatments have given good results. The higher dosage treatment gave severe reactions especially in brugian filariasis. Pockets of high endemicity can still be found in remote rural areas. Therefore a weekly low dosage treatment of 40 weeks through the Primary Health Care approach has been adopted. Filariasis research in Indonesia at present is concentrating on the use of biotechnological tools, especially for diagnostic and vector identification purposes, and to understand better the pathophysiology. Treatment trials with new drugs such as Ivermectin and DEC are being conducted both in man and experimental animals.