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GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION OF LYMPHATIC FILARIASIS IN HAITI

Although lymphatic filariasis is known to have been endemic in Haiti since at least the mid 1700s, a national filariasis survey has never been conducted. As a first step in the national program to eliminate filariasis, we collected blood in January-April 2001 from 50–250 school children (6–11 years old) in all 133 communes of the country using an adaptation of the lot quality assurance sampling method. Of 22,365 children tested, 901 (4.0%) were positive for circulating Wuchereria bancrofti antigen. When weighted by commune population, the overall national antigen prevalence in this age group was 7.3%. Infected children were found in 117 (87.9%) communes, the most heavily affected areas being concentrated in the northern part of the country. In only 16 (12.1%) communes were all 250 children antigen negative. Thus, W. bancrofti infection in Haiti is much more widespread than previously realized; virtually the entire population of the country may be considered at risk of infection.

Received April 29, 2004. Accepted for publication June 17, 2004.

Acknowledgments: We thank Dr. Henri Claude Voltaire, Dr. Patrick Lammie, Dr. Christian Raccurt, Dr. Gédéon Gélin, Christian Popotre, the staff of the World Health Organization, Catholic Relief Services, CARE, the Ministère de la Santé Publique et de la Population, and the Hôpital Sainte Croix Filariasis Program, whose assistance made this project possible. We also thank Dr. Elda Nicolas for her special contributions.

Financial support: This work was supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation through a grant to the University of Notre Dame and the Hôpital Sainte Croix.

Authors’ addresses: Madsen V. E. Beau de Rochars and Jean J. Dorvil, Lymphatic Filariasis Program, Hôpital Sainte Croix, Rue Père Thévenot #1, Léogane, Haïti, Telephone: 509-555-5246 or 011-509-235-1044, Fax: 509-235-1845, E-mail: mbeauder{at}nd.edu. M. Denise Milord, National Coordination of Lymphatic Filariasis in Haiti, Debussy #32, Port au Prince, Haiti, Telephone: 509-554-1287 or 509-245-4276, E-mail: mariedenise{at}haitelonline.com. Yvan St. Jean and Anne M. Désormeaux, Ministère de la Santé Publique et de la Population, Port au Prince, Haiti, Telephone: 509-245-8749 and 509-222-7704. Jack G. Lafontant, Rue Père Thévenot # 1, Léogane, Haiti, Telephone: 509-555-7692 and 509-235-1846, Fax: 509-235-1845, E-mail: gastro{at}hopital-stecroix.org. David G. Addiss, Division of Parasitic Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mailstop F-22, 4770 Buford Highway, Atlanta, GA 30341-3717, Telephone: 770-488-7770, Fax: 770-488-4465, E-mail: dga1{at}cdc.gov. Thomas G. Streit, Center for Tropical Disease Research and Training, University of Notre Dame, 351 Galvin Life Science, Notre Dame, IN 46556, Telephone: 574-631-3273, Fax: 574-631-7413, E-mail: streit.1{at}nd.edu.

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