Potential factors influencing lymphatic filariasis transmission in “hotspot” and “control” areas in Ghana: the importance of vectors
Summary
Mass drug administration (MDA) programmes for the control of lymphatic filariasis in Ghana have been ongoing in some endemic districts for 16 years. The current study aimed to assess factors that govern the success of MDA programmes for breaking transmission of lymphatic filariasis in Ghana.
In this study, persistent transmission in “hotspots” could not be attributed to low MDA coverage and compliance when compared with control districts though rather local vector-related factors. While in one ‘hotspot’ district persistent transmission could be explained by initial infection prevalence and low vector densities, in the 2nd ‘hotspot’ district it was associated with high biting rates of Anopheles gambiae and initial infection prevalence, coupled with high densities of A. melas and mansonia vector species that have low or no teeth and exhibit the vector-parasite density dependent relationship of “limitation”.