Observations on Filarial Infection in Amassoma Community in the Niger Delta, Nigeria

Filarial infections were studied in Amassoma community between March 2006 and April 2007. Seven hundred and eighty blood samples were obtained and examined using standard parasitological techniques. Of this number, 227 (25.5%) samples were infected with filarial spp as follows: Mansonella perstans 121 (43.8%), Wuchereria bancrofit 80 (28.8%), Loa loa 75 (27.1%) and Onchoceria volvulus 1 (0.3%). Peak infection (44.3%) occurred in the 30-39 years age bracket. The lowest infection rate was observed in the candidates above 70 years old. Microfilarial density (mfd) was highest in this age bracket. The lowest mfd occurred in 1-9 years old. Infection was higher (38.9%) in the males than in the females (33.9%). Higher infection in the males was attributed to fishing, which was predominantly a male occupation. Three of the five mosquito spp collected from the community hardboured microfilariae: Anopheles gambiae (9.5%), A- funestus (6.6%), Culex quinquefestus (4.1%), Anopheles nili (-%), Aedes aegypti (0%). The presence of the microfilariae confirms that filarial infections in the study area are endemic. Entomological survey was done in the night and insects that were active in day-time were not trapped. @ JASE