Seroconversion to Filarial Antigens in Australian Defence Force Personnel in Timor-Leste

Frances, Stephen P.; Baade, Lisa; Kubofcik, Joseph; Nutman, Thomas B.; Melrose, Wayne; McCarthy, James S.; Nissen, Michael

doi:10.4269/ajtmh.2008.78.560

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 22 publications

(22 reference statements)

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“…Serology undertaken on Australian soldiers involved in the peacekeeping mission from 1999–2002 indicated that they were certainly exposed to filarial nematodes, although all were asymptomatic, and it was unclear if any had progressed to an established or patent infection [ 88 ].…”

Section: Current Lf Prevalence In Oceaniamentioning

confidence: 99%

The History of Bancroftian Lymphatic Filariasis in Australasia and Oceania: Is There a Threat of Re-Occurrence in Mainland Australia?

2018

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Lymphatic filariasis (LF) infects an estimated 120 million people worldwide, with a further 856 million considered at risk of infection and requiring preventative chemotherapy. The majority of LF infections are caused by Wuchereria bancrofti, named in honour of the Australian physician Joseph Bancroft, with the remainder due to Brugia malayi and B. timori. Infection with LF through the bite of an infected mosquito, can lead to the development of the condition known as elephantiasis, where swelling due to oedema leads to loss of function in the affected area and thickening of the skin, ‘like an elephant’. LF has previously been endemic in Australia, although currently, no autochthonous cases occur there. Human immigration to Australia from LF-endemic countries, including those close to Australia, and the presence of susceptible mosquitoes that can act as suitable vectors, heighten the possibility of the reintroduction of LF into this country. In this review, we examine the history of LF in Australia and Oceania and weigh up the potential risk of its re-occurrence on mainland Australia.

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Section: Current Lf Prevalence In Oceaniamentioning

confidence: 99%

The History of Bancroftian Lymphatic Filariasis in Australasia and Oceania: Is There a Threat of Re-Occurrence in Mainland Australia?

2018

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“…Sandfly fever. The different species responsible for transmission of sandfly fever viruses have a focal, but wide, geographical distribution [59]. Foci are reported from southern Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia, where these species are endemic.…”

Section: Sandfly-borne Diseasesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The past and present threat of vector-borne diseases in deployed troops

Pagès

Faulde²,

Orlandi-Pradines

et al. 2010

Clinical Microbiology and Infection

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From time immemorial, vector-borne diseases have severely reduced the fighting capacity of armies and caused suspension or cancellation of military operations. Since World War I, infectious diseases have no longer been the main causes of morbidity and mortality among soldiers. However, most recent conflicts involving Western armies have occurred overseas, increasing the risk of vector-borne disease for the soldiers and for the displaced populations. The threat of vector-borne disease has changed with the progress in hygiene and disease control within the military: some diseases have lost their military significance (e.g. plague, yellow fever, and epidemic typhus); others remain of concern (e.g. malaria and dengue fever); and new potential threats have appeared (e.g. West Nile encephalitis and chikungunya fever). For this reason, vector control and personal protection strategies are always major requirements in ensuring the operational readiness of armed forces. Scientific progress has allowed a reduction in the impact of arthropod-borne diseases on military forces, but the threat is always present, and a failure in the context of vector control or in the application of personal protection measures could allow these diseases to have the same devastating impact on human health and military readiness as they did in the past.

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