Title: Efficacy of diethylcarbamazine-medicated salt for microfilaraemia of Brugia malayi.
Abstract: Pilot studies in India and abroad have demonstrated the benefit of cooking salt fortified with diethylcarbamazine citrate (DEC) for the control of lymphatic filariasis. In India, DEC-medicated salt has been introduced on a commercial basis in the Cherthala region of Kerala, which is endemic for Brugia malayi (B. malayi). We studied the efficacy of DEC-medicated salt in the clearance of microfilaraemia of B. malayi.Eighteen cases of microfilaraemia (11 men; 7 women) were selected; 14 in the experimental group (i.e. treated with 0.2% w/w DEC-medicated salt) and the rest as the control group who were given a placebo. The consumption of salt and the status of parasitaemia were monitored till all the microfilaria carriers became negative.There was a significant reduction in the density of microfilariae (intensity) among the treated individuals over a period of time. The duration required for the clearance of microfilariae ranged from 9 to 30 [mean (SD) 19.4 (1.7)] weeks. All microfilaraemics except one reported side-effects which were mild-to-moderate and persisted for a maximum period of one month.DEC-medicated salt effectively clears microfilariae within 30 weeks in parasitaemic individuals. No 'endemic normals' reported any side-effects, though these were common among the microfilaria carriers.
Publication Year: 1998
Publication Date: 1998-03-03
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['pubmed']
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Cited By Count: 7
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