Seroepidemiology of bancroftian filariasis in the Seychelles Islands

Wuchereria bancrofti is the only human filarioid present in the Seychelles archipelago. The last parasitological survey carried out in Mahé revealed a microfilaraemia rate of 3.6%. Serum samples from 417 native individuals living in Mahé were tested for the presence of filarial antibodies by ELISA method, using crude soluble extract of Brugia pahangi adult worm as antigen. The results seem to show a proportion of the population (17%) has been exposed to W. bancrofti (with OD values greater than 0.5) and 7% (with OD greater than 0.7) have specific filarial antibodies. The pattern of distribution of antibody levels in the sample population studied strongly suggest that filariasis is still endemic in Seychelles (Mahé).