THERE ARE no active cases of filariasis in the city, an official from the Davao City Health Office-Tropical Disease Prevention and Control Unit clarified on Monday.
In an interview with city-owned radio, Dr. Gerwin Emmanuel V. Butiong, physician coordinator of the unit, still urged Davaoeños to practice “4T” or the Taob, Taktak, Tuyo at Takip, on possible mosquito breeding sites to prevent the spread.
Filariasis, or Lymphatic filariasis (commonly known as elephantiasis), is a tropical disease transmitted through mosquito bites. It is caused by parasitic roundworms (Wuchereria bancrofti and Brugia malayi) carried by Aedes, Anopheles, and Culex mosquitoes.
Butiong explained that mosquitoes become infected by ingesting microfilariae (immature larvae) from an infected person’s blood.
These worms would lodge in the lymphatic system, potentially causing severe swelling, fever, body aches, and chills.
The doctor stressed that some patients are asymptomatic, and clinical findings of present symptoms are inadequate to diagnose a patient with filariasis.
“Filariasis is a non-specific disease. The patient needs to undergo laboratory tests,” he said.
Filaria-endemic districts include Buhangin, Bunawan, Sasa, Toril A, Toril B, Tugbok, Marilog, Calinan, Paquibato, and Baguio.
Butiong said that these filaria cases were already treated, and contact tracing results revealed that the patients had travel history outside the city.
CHO urged Dabawenyos to have their laboratory test for filariasis at the office, and may avail test kits at the barangay and district health centers, especially in the identified filaria-endemic districts.
The office also offers medicines to patients who might test positive for filariasis.
To note, Davao City has been declared as Filaria-free since 2018. While there were sporadic cases, these were already treated, and there are no active cases of filariasis in the city.
File Photo: DOH XI
