Sunish I P, Shriram A N, Sivan A, Kartick C, Saha B P, Vijayachari P
Regional Medical Research Centre (Indian Council of Medical Research), Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
Trop Doct. 2013 Jan;43(1):30-2. doi: 10.1177/0049475513482123.
Lymphatic filariasis (LF) is endemic in the Andaman and Nicobar islands, including the lone foci for a diurnally sub-periodic form of Wuchereria bancrofti in the Nancowry group of islands. A programme to eliminate LF was launched in 2004 by the Directorate of Health Services, Andaman and Nicobar Administration which involved a single annual mass drug administration (MDA) using diethylcarbamazine (DEC) with albendazole. So far, eight rounds of MDA have been implemented through the Public Health Care network. The pattern of antifilarial drug distribution and compliance achieved in the on-going LF elimination programme in these islands has been assessed. This is the first systematic effort undertaken in these remote islands to assess the coverage and compliance with the LF elimination programme. This study covered 900 households in each of the 3 districts. There were a largest number of side effects in the Nicobar district (6.4%). Non-consumption of drugs ranged from 18.6% (Nicobar) to 42% (North and Middle Andaman). A survey revealed that almost 95.3% of the respondents had heard about MDA from the drug distributors. Therefore, the distributors should be involved in programmes designed to educate the community at risk of acquiring filarial infection and the possible side effects of the drugs.
淋巴丝虫病（LF）在安达曼和尼科巴群岛呈地方性流行，包括在南科里群岛存在的昼间亚周期型班氏吴策线虫的唯一疫源地。2004年，安达曼和尼科巴行政区卫生服务局发起了一项消除淋巴丝虫病的计划，该计划涉及每年使用乙胺嗪（DEC）与阿苯达唑进行一次群体药物给药（MDA）。到目前为止，已通过公共卫生保健网络实施了八轮群体药物给药。对这些岛屿正在进行的淋巴丝虫病消除计划中抗丝虫药物的分发模式和依从性进行了评估。这是在这些偏远岛屿上为评估淋巴丝虫病消除计划的覆盖范围和依从性而进行的首次系统性努力。本研究涵盖了3个区中每个区的900户家庭。尼科巴区出现的副作用最多（6.4%）。未服药的比例从18.6%（尼科巴）到42%（北安达曼和中安达曼）不等。一项调查显示，几乎95.3%的受访者从药品分发者那里听说过群体药物给药。因此，分发者应参与旨在教育有感染丝虫风险的社区以及告知药物可能产生的副作用的计划。
