Therapy of Tropical Diseases — Filariasis

The major human filarial parasites include Wuchereria bancrofti, Brugia malayi and B. timori responsible for lymphatic filariasis, Loa loa which causes loaiasis and Onchocerca volvulus which causes onchocerciasis. In addition, Dipetalonema perstans, D. streptocerca and Manzonella ozzardi infect man but are of doubtful pathogenicity. The adults of these parasites (macrofilariae) live for many years and produce larvae (microfilariae). In lymphatic filariasis and loaiasis the pathology is caused by the adult worms while in onchocerciasis, the microfilariae are responsible. These parasites affect millions of people in tropical and subtropical areas and produce chronic illness and disability. The treatment of filariasis has recently been reviewed by Hawking (1979). This paper will deal mainly with onchocerciasis, outline the problems posed by this disease and summarize recent work done in the field of human onchocerciasis chemotherapy. These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.