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Temporal variability of Loa loa microfilaraemia
Jérémy T Campillo1, Marlhand C Hemilembolo2,3, Frédéric Louya3
1TransVIHMI, INSERM Unité 1175, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France. jeremy.campillo@ird.fr.
Parasites & Vectors
|January 23, 2023
Summary
Microfilarial density of Loa loa is stable in communities but varies significantly in individuals over time. This individual variability impacts onchocerciasis control and intervention studies.
Area of Science:
- Parasitology
- Tropical Medicine
- Public Health
Background:
- The diurnal periodicity of Loa loa microfilaraemia is established.
- Limited data exists on the short- and long-term stability of microfilarial density.
- Community-level microfilarial density appears stable, but individual variations are noted.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the temporal variability of Loa loa microfilaraemia.
- To analyze factors influencing microfilarial density variability.
- To understand the implications for disease control and research.
Main Methods:
- Assessed temporal variability of Loa loa microfilaraemia at 5-day, 1-month, and 16-month intervals.
- Analyzed the influence of sex, age, microfilaraemia level, temperature, and sampling time.
- Utilized Pearson correlation coefficients to measure community-level stability.
Main Results:
- Community-level microfilarial density demonstrated high stability over all intervals (P < 0.001).
- Significant individual variations (up to ±50%) were observed at 5-day, 1-month, and 16-month intervals.
- No major external factors were identified as significantly impacting individual variability.
Conclusions:
- Microfilarial density is highly stable at the community level.
- Significant short- and long-term individual variations in microfilarial density were identified.
- These individual variations have potential implications for onchocerciasis control and intervention studies.
