Prevalence of Lymphatic Filariasis in Districts of Eastern Nepal: A Population Based Cross-Sectional Household Survey

Abstract

Background: Lymphatic Filariasis is a major public health problem in various parts of the world. It causes permanent and progressive physical disability. Some 120 million people are infected worldwide and the disease is endemic in more than 80 countries and territories. The present study was undertaken to assess the knowledge of study population about lymphatic filariasis and to estimate the prevalence of the disease in Morang, Sunsari and Saptari districts of Eastern Nepal. Methods: This study was carried out in three districts (Morang, Sunsari and Saptari) of eastern Nepal over a period of three months. Approximately 100 households (400 individuals) were selected by systematic random sampling technique. The filarial survey was comprised of the survey proforma and night blood collections by the laboratory technician. All information was put in the pre coded format. The analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 10.0. Results: The overall prevalence of lymphatic filariasis from a 10000-studied population from three districts of eastern Nepal was 0.1%. District wise prevalence of lymphatic filariasis was 0.07% and 0.2% in Morang and Saptari respectively. Conclusions: A health education program can be developed based on the data from the present study. Keywords: eastern Nepal; knowledge; lymphatic filariasis; prevalence.