Elimination of lymphatic filariasis as a public health problem from the Cook Islands
Abstract Background The Cook Islands has a long history of high-endemicity lymphatic filariasis (LF) transmitted by Aedes vector mosquitoes. Though the infection prevalence had declined between 1975 and 1999 following episodic treatment activities, still infection was widespread with pockets of pers...
Published in: | Tropical Medicine and Health |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
BMC
2018
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s41182-018-0094-9 https://doaj.org/article/604c37f2859546d590627fd9dbe81b88 |
id |
ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:604c37f2859546d590627fd9dbe81b88 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:604c37f2859546d590627fd9dbe81b88 2023-05-15T15:15:22+02:00 Elimination of lymphatic filariasis as a public health problem from the Cook Islands Charlie Ave D Ramaiah Kapa Eric Ottesen 2018-05-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1186/s41182-018-0094-9 https://doaj.org/article/604c37f2859546d590627fd9dbe81b88 EN eng BMC http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s41182-018-0094-9 https://doaj.org/toc/1349-4147 doi:10.1186/s41182-018-0094-9 1349-4147 https://doaj.org/article/604c37f2859546d590627fd9dbe81b88 Tropical Medicine and Health, Vol 46, Iss 1, Pp 1-10 (2018) Lymphatic filariasis Elimination PacELF Cook Islands Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 article 2018 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1186/s41182-018-0094-9 2022-12-31T13:31:42Z Abstract Background The Cook Islands has a long history of high-endemicity lymphatic filariasis (LF) transmitted by Aedes vector mosquitoes. Though the infection prevalence had declined between 1975 and 1999 following episodic treatment activities, still infection was widespread with pockets of persistent infection. Beginning in 1999, the Cook Islands embarked on a national program, in partnership with Pacific Programme to Eliminate LF (PacELF), to eliminate LF as a public health problem. Methods All 12 inhabited islands were identified as endemic, and six rounds of mass drug administration (MDA) with once-yearly, single-dose albendazole plus diethylcarbamazine (DEC) were implemented during 2000–2006 to interrupt transmission of LF. Surveys carried out at the baseline, mid-term, stop-MDA, and post-MDA periods assessed LF antigen (Ag) prevalence in children and adults. Historical data, health workers’ observations, and hospital records were used to assess the trend and burden of chronic disease. Results The baseline Ag prevalence (1999) ranged from 2.0% in Manihiki to > 18.0% in Aitutaki, Mitiaro, and Pukapuka, and the national average Ag prevalence was 8.6%. MDA, carried out with a national treatment coverage over six annual rounds of MDA ranging from 63.5 to 96.7% in different years, was stopped in 2007. By then, the national Ag prevalence had declined to 0.27%. The post-MDA surveillance survey results (2013–2014) showed that Ag prevalence had fallen to 0% in 11/12 islands, and the national prevalence was only 0.03%. Chronic filarial disease had almost entirely disappeared. Conclusion The Cook Islands met all the criteria required for the World Health Organization (WHO) to acknowledge elimination of LF as a public health problem, as it did officially in 2016. This success also confirms that LF, even when transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes that are recognized to be more efficient than other vector species, can be eliminated as a public health problem by six rounds of MDA. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Arctic Pacific Tropical Medicine and Health 46 1 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Lymphatic filariasis Elimination PacELF Cook Islands Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 |
spellingShingle |
Lymphatic filariasis Elimination PacELF Cook Islands Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Charlie Ave D Ramaiah Kapa Eric Ottesen Elimination of lymphatic filariasis as a public health problem from the Cook Islands |
topic_facet |
Lymphatic filariasis Elimination PacELF Cook Islands Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 |
description |
Abstract Background The Cook Islands has a long history of high-endemicity lymphatic filariasis (LF) transmitted by Aedes vector mosquitoes. Though the infection prevalence had declined between 1975 and 1999 following episodic treatment activities, still infection was widespread with pockets of persistent infection. Beginning in 1999, the Cook Islands embarked on a national program, in partnership with Pacific Programme to Eliminate LF (PacELF), to eliminate LF as a public health problem. Methods All 12 inhabited islands were identified as endemic, and six rounds of mass drug administration (MDA) with once-yearly, single-dose albendazole plus diethylcarbamazine (DEC) were implemented during 2000–2006 to interrupt transmission of LF. Surveys carried out at the baseline, mid-term, stop-MDA, and post-MDA periods assessed LF antigen (Ag) prevalence in children and adults. Historical data, health workers’ observations, and hospital records were used to assess the trend and burden of chronic disease. Results The baseline Ag prevalence (1999) ranged from 2.0% in Manihiki to > 18.0% in Aitutaki, Mitiaro, and Pukapuka, and the national average Ag prevalence was 8.6%. MDA, carried out with a national treatment coverage over six annual rounds of MDA ranging from 63.5 to 96.7% in different years, was stopped in 2007. By then, the national Ag prevalence had declined to 0.27%. The post-MDA surveillance survey results (2013–2014) showed that Ag prevalence had fallen to 0% in 11/12 islands, and the national prevalence was only 0.03%. Chronic filarial disease had almost entirely disappeared. Conclusion The Cook Islands met all the criteria required for the World Health Organization (WHO) to acknowledge elimination of LF as a public health problem, as it did officially in 2016. This success also confirms that LF, even when transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes that are recognized to be more efficient than other vector species, can be eliminated as a public health problem by six rounds of MDA. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Charlie Ave D Ramaiah Kapa Eric Ottesen |
author_facet |
Charlie Ave D Ramaiah Kapa Eric Ottesen |
author_sort |
Charlie Ave |
title |
Elimination of lymphatic filariasis as a public health problem from the Cook Islands |
title_short |
Elimination of lymphatic filariasis as a public health problem from the Cook Islands |
title_full |
Elimination of lymphatic filariasis as a public health problem from the Cook Islands |
title_fullStr |
Elimination of lymphatic filariasis as a public health problem from the Cook Islands |
title_full_unstemmed |
Elimination of lymphatic filariasis as a public health problem from the Cook Islands |
title_sort |
elimination of lymphatic filariasis as a public health problem from the cook islands |
publisher |
BMC |
publishDate |
2018 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1186/s41182-018-0094-9 https://doaj.org/article/604c37f2859546d590627fd9dbe81b88 |
geographic |
Arctic Pacific |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Pacific |
genre |
Arctic |
genre_facet |
Arctic |
op_source |
Tropical Medicine and Health, Vol 46, Iss 1, Pp 1-10 (2018) |
op_relation |
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s41182-018-0094-9 https://doaj.org/toc/1349-4147 doi:10.1186/s41182-018-0094-9 1349-4147 https://doaj.org/article/604c37f2859546d590627fd9dbe81b88 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1186/s41182-018-0094-9 |
container_title |
Tropical Medicine and Health |
container_volume |
46 |
container_issue |
1 |
_version_ |
1766345742598799360 |