Estimation of fecundic life span of Wuchereria bancrofti from longitudinal study of human infection in an endemic area of Pondicherry (south India).

ABSTRACT

The fecundic life span of adult female W. bancrofti was estimated by longitudinal study of microfilaraemia in a cohort of population (7,525) in Pondicherry. The estimation was based on a deterministic model, using the rate of loss in infection. The life span of the parasite was 10.2 yr without chemotherapy, while it was reduced to 5.3 yr following diethyl-carbamazine therapy. The analysis of mean microfilarial counts in microfilaraemic persons without chemotherapy indicates that the rate of production of microfilaria by the adult female is stable at least for a period of five years.