Editorial Rapid Diagnostics for the Endgame in Lymphatic Filariasis Elimination

Lymphatic filariasis (LF) is a mosquito-borne parasitic infection of neglected people in Africa, Asia, the Pacific, and the Americas. It is caused by three parasites (Wuchereria bancrofti, Brugia malayi, and B. timori) that are transmitted by different mosquitoes, including Anopheles, Aedes, Culex, and Mansonia species.1 It is a major cause of acute and chronic morbidity and a hindrance to economic development in resource-limited countries. Effective and simple diagnostic tools are central to estimating the burden of the disease and monitoring the impact of the Global Program to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF). GPELF is a rapidly expanding public health initiative that coordinated the administration of treatments to over 539 mil-lion people in 53 of 73 endemic countries in 2011.2 Preventive chemotherapy, through mass drug administration (MDA), i