Filarial Worms in Southeast Asia

Canine and feline vector-borne diseases of zoonotic concern in Southeast Asia

“…Lymphatic filariasis (LF), commonly known as elephantiasis, is one of the neglected tropical diseases, and it has been considered for a long time as endemic in SEA ( Noordin et al., 2013 ). An estimated 15 million people in SEA are affected by LF ( Sudomo et al., 2010 ).…”

“…relatively high costs of diagnostic tests, scarce laboratory infrastructures, and lack of diagnostic expertise) affect the ability of veterinarians to achieve reliable diagnoses of VBP of dogs and cats in SEA as well as other developing regions ( Dantas-Torres et al., 2020 ; Otranto, 2015 ). Due to its relatively low cost and high sensitivity, the Knott's test is the most popular procedure for detecting microfilariae in SEA ( Noordin et al., 2013 ). Although the presence of microfilariae can be microscopically identified in the bloodstream of infected animals ( Panarese et al., 2020 ), their identification based on morphology and measurements may be troublesome.…”