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Analysis of the 24-h microfilarial periodicity of Mansonella perstans

Parasitology Research volume 104, Article number: 945 (2009) Cite this article

Abstract

The Mansonella perstans microfilarial (mf) periodicity in peripheral blood was analysed in a group of 32 healthy individuals from an endemic community in Uganda. The majority of individuals had maximum mf intensity during the first and minimum during the last 12 h of the day. Mean mf ratios (i.e. time-specific counts in relation to mean count for the individual) indicated a weak but significant diurnal periodicity with peak intensity around 0800 h. Trigonometric analysis of the ratios, assuming a harmonic wave pattern of periodicity, gave a periodicity index of 11.1 and a peak time of 0645 h. The higher mf intensities in the early morning appeared to coincide with the preferred biting hour of the vectors. The observed weak pattern of mf periodicity indicates that the sampling time of blood specimens for diagnosis will have only minor effect on diagnostic sensitivity.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the study individuals for their cooperation, to the local counsellors for assistance in mobilisation, to the clinical officer at Seeta Namanoga Health Centre (Stephen Lubanga) for providing facilities for the field work and to the LF technical staff of Vector Control Division in Kampala (Anna Auma, Abudhala Bagonza and Peter Ekaju) for their invaluable assistance during specimen collection. The study received financial support from DBL-Centre for Health Research and Development, Denmark.

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Affiliations

  1. Kyambogo University, P.O. Box 1, Kyambogo, Kampala, Uganda

    Santa Maria Asio

  2. DBL-Centre for Health Research and Development, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 57, 1871, Frederiksberg C, Denmark

    Paul E. Simonsen

  3. Vector Control Division, Ministry of Health, P.O. Box 1661, Kampala, Uganda

    Ambrose W. Onapa

Authors
  1. Santa Maria Asio
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  2. Paul E. Simonsen
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  3. Ambrose W. Onapa
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Correspondence to Paul E. Simonsen.

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Asio, S.M., Simonsen, P.E. & Onapa, A.W. Analysis of the 24-h microfilarial periodicity of Mansonella perstans . Parasitol Res 104, 945 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-008-1312-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-008-1312-x

Keywords

  • Diurnal Periodicity
  • Thick Blood Smear
  • Filarial Antigen
  • Circulate Filarial Antigen
  • Periodicity Index