Status of lymphatic filariasis in parts of East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh, India

Lymphatic filariasis (LF) commonly known as elephantiasis is considered as a major public health problem due to its considerable morbidity and social stigma. National health policy 2002 aims at elimina-tion of transmission and the prevention of disability due to LF by the year 20151. Sixteen out of twenty three districts of Andhra Pradesh, India are under the grip of LF and 54 million population of the state is under “Mass drug administration ” (MDA) programme with annual single dose of diethylcarbamazine cit-rate (DEC) tablets once a year1. East Godavari dis-trict is one of the worst LF affected districts in Andhra Pradesh. As per the Government of Andhra Pradesh report a total of six rounds of MDA programme were conducted between 1999 and 2005 covering approxi-mately five million population2. Therefore, night blood surveys and partial entomological surveys were conducted in two MF endemic towns and six endemic villages between January to May 2004 and again July to November 2005 to note the recent prevalence (mf) and disease incidence in the district. The study area, East Godavari district is situated in the eastern bank of the Godavari River. The land surface of the study area is more or less plain with some undulations and with high subsoil water. Rice and sugarcane are major crops. Five localities (wards) each reporting high LF cases were selected each from Rajahmundry and Mandapeta towns for the study in urban areas. Similar to other major towns, Rajahmundry and Mandapeta towns and their surroundings are also affected by rapid, haphazard urbanisation and industrialisation, causing mosquito-genic conditions, specially breeding of Culex quin-quefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae) mosquitoes. Six filaria endemic villages namely Choppella (PHC