{"study_desc":{"study_info":{"nation":[{"name":"Ghana","abbreviation":"GH"}],"coll_dates":[{"start":"2001","end":"2002"}],"notes":"Ghana has been implementing mass drug administration (MDA) of ivermectin and\nalbendazole for the elimination of lymphatic filariasis (LF) since the year 2000, as part of the Global\nProgramme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF). It was estimated that 5\u20136 years of treatment\nwould be sufficient to eliminate the disease. Tremendous progress has been made over the years,\nand treatment has stopped in many disease endemic districts. However, despite the successful\nimplementation of MDA, there are districts with persistent transmission. In this study we assessed\nthe epidemiology of LF in three adjoining districts that have received at least 16 years of MDA.\nThe assessments were undertaken one year after the last MDA. 1234 adults and 182 children below\nthe age of 10 years were assessed. The overall prevalence of circulating filarial antigen in the\nstudy participants was 8.3% (95% CI: 6.9\u20139.9), with an estimated microfilaria prevalence of 1.2%.\nThe microfilarial intensity in positive individuals ranged from 1 to 57 microfilariae\/mL of blood.\nHigher antigen prevalence was detected in males (13.0%; 95% CI: 10.3\u201316.2) compared to females\n(5.5%; 95% CI: 4.1\u20137.2). The presence of infection was also highest in individuals involved in outdoor\ncommercial activities, with the risks of infection being four- to five-fold higher among farmers,\nfishermen, drivers and artisans, compared to all other occupations. Using bednets or participating in\nMDA did not significantly influence the risk of infection. No children below the age of 10 years were\nfound with infection. Detection of Wb123 antibodies for current infections indicated a prevalence of\n14.4% (95% CI: 8.1\u201323.0) in antigen-positive individuals above 10 years of age. No antibodies were\ndetected in children 10 years or below. Assessment of infection within the An. gambiae vectors of\nLF indicated an infection rate of 0.9% (95% CI: 0.3\u20132.1) and infectivity rate of 0.5% (95% CI: 0.1\u20131.6).\nThese results indicate low-level transmission within the districts, and suggest that it will require\ntargeted interventions in order to eliminate the infection.\n","data_kind":"sample survey data[ssd]","geog_coverage":"18 LF endemic villages in the AhantaWest, Nzema East and Ellembele Districts in the Western Region of Ghana"},"authoring_entity":[{"name":"Dziedzom K. de Souza","affiliation":"Department of Parasitology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon-Accra, Ghana"}],"production_statement":{"funding_agencies":[{"name":"EDCTP2 programme supported by the European Union","grant":"98595","role":"The design of the study, in the collection, analysis and interpretation of the data, or in the publication of the study results."}],"copyright":"Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research"},"oth_id":[{"name":"Regional and district health management teams","role":"Support towards the study","affiliation":"Government "},{"name":"NTDP","affiliation":"Government","role":"Implementation of the study"}],"method":{"data_collection":{"coll_mode":["A computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) ",""],"sampling_procedure":"Study sites were selected following a review of the Neglected Tropical Disease Programme\n(NTDP) sentinel and spot check site monitoring data, as well as recommendation from the District\nHealth Management Team (DHMT). The sample size determination took into consideration the null\nhypothesis that an additional MDA is not more effective than the standard single dose per annum\ntreatment, and the alternate hypothesis that an additional MDA is more effective than the standard\nsingle dose. With prevalence between sites ranging from 1% to 18%, the sample size was determined\nassuming an effect size of 0.4, power of 0.80, 37% non-response rate (determined from a previous\nstudy). Thus, 80 participants were targeted from each community, with a total of 1440 participants for\nthe entire study.","coll_situation":"A computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) using Census and Survey Processing System\n(CSPro) was employed to obtain data on age, sex, occupation, place of residence, use of treated bednet,\nand participation in MDA."}},"data_access":{"dataset_use":{"contact":[{"name":"Dziedzom K. de Souza","affiliation":"Department of Parasitology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research,  University of Ghana, Legon-Accra, Ghana","uri":"https:\/\/noguchi.ug.edu.gh\/research-departments\/parasitology\/","email":"DdeSouza@noguchi.ug.edu.gh"}]}},"distribution_statement":{"contact":[{"name":"Dziedzom K. de Souza","affiliation":"Department of Parasitology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research,  University of Ghana, Legon-Accra, Ghana","email":"DdeSouza@noguchi.ug.edu.gh"}]},"title_statement":{"idno":"NMIMR_LYMPHATIC_FILARIASIS_2018","title":"Low Microfilaremia Levels in Three Districts in Coastal Ghana with at Least 16 Years of Mass Drug Administration and Persistent Transmission of Lymphatic Filariasis"},"version_statement":{"version":"v1"}}}