American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Volume 33, Issue 2, 1984, Pages 246-251

A survey of filariasis among refugees in South Florida (Article)

Yangco B.G. , Vincent A.L. , Vickery A.C. , Nayar J.K. , Sauerman D.M.
  • a Division of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of South Florida College of Medicine, Tampa, FL 33612, United States
  • b Division of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of South Florida College of Medicine, Tampa, FL 33612, United States
  • c Division of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of South Florida College of Medicine, Tampa, FL 33612, United States
  • d [Affiliation not available]
  • e [Affiliation not available]

Abstract

Between January 1981 and March 1982, a filariasis survey was conducted among 668 Haitian immigrants and 155 Southeast Asian refugees residing in Florida, U.S.A. Microfilariae were detected only in Haitians, with 6.7% positive for Wuchereria bancrofti and 1.3% positive for Mansonella ozzardi. The majority of individuals with bancroftian filariasis came from five coastal urban areas including Port-au-Prince, Duvalierville, Gonoives, Leogane and Cap-Haitien. No unequivocal signs of bancroftian filariasis or mansonellosis were seen. Membrane feeding of several species and strains of laboratory-reared mosquitoes on blood from a volunteer microfilaremic with W. bancrofti showed that Aedes aegypti and A. taeniorhynchus, but not Culex quinquefascitus, were susceptible to infection with the Haitian strain of W. bancrofti. Culicoides furens, a known vector of M. ozzardi in Haiti and present in Florida, was not tested. Further studies are needed to determine the competence of Florida vectors for transmitting W. bancrofti and M. ozzardi to the indigenous human population.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

filariasis geographic distribution parasite transmission Wuchereria bancrofti Filaria diagnosis parasite prevalence Mansonella ozzardi Aedes aegypti human blood and hemopoietic system
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-0021275174&doi=10.4269%2fajtmh.1984.33.246&partnerID=40&md5=d6729a1c26b5bcf3c4432f0866ad5b35
DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.1984.33.246
ISSN: 00029637
Cited by: 8
Original Language: English