Filariasis

Filarial parasites affect over 130 million people in tropical and subtropical regions of the world.

They have a great impact on public health because of their often prolonged and sometimes debilitating effects, ranging from lymphatic inflammation and elephantiasis to skin disease and blindness.

This symposium volume combines expertise from Western countries and areas where filariasis is endemic, and from disciplines as diverse as epidemiology and molecular biology.

The contributors consider many aspects of the host-parasite interaction, including the pathological and immunological consequences of infection, and they discuss implications for the diagnosis and control of filarial disease. The book starts with an overview of lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis, epidemiological trends and problems, and the spectrum of clinical disease.

The parasites themselves are then described, with emphasis on structural, biochemical and genetic features that may aid in strain and species identification and the development of new chemotherapeutic agents.

Several papers focus on disease mechanisms, drawing on information from animal models and exploring the nature and pathogenetic significance of immune responses to human filarial infections, with reference to onchocercal antigens, antibody production and cell adherence reactions.

Finally, antifilarial drugs, their mechanisms of action and reactions to treatment are reviewed.

Throughout, constructive discussion highlights gaps in current knowledge and helps to identify priorities for future research.