PREVALENCE OF LOAIASIS AMONG DISPLACED PERSONS IN THE NEW BAKASSI RESETTLEMENT CAMP, EKPIRI-IKANG, CROSS RIVER STATE, NIGERIA

This study is aimed at determining the prevalence and Geometric Mean Intensity (GMI) of loaiasis in relation to age and sex, among displaced persons in the New Bakassi resettles at Ekpiri-Ikang, Cross River State, Nigeria. From each person, 50µl of day blood samples were collected separately on to clean slides, processed using standard methods and stained with haematoxylin. The overall prevalence of loaiasis was 9.6% (10.4% for males, 9.0% for females). Generally there was no significant sex-related difference in prevalence (χ2-test; p > 0.05). Prevalence of microfilaraemia rose with age to a peak (20.0%) among the 50-59 years age group before falling slightly among the oldest age group. There was a slight slump in prevalence among the 40-49 years age group. The overall mf GMI among mf positive individuals was 159 mf/ml of blood, and comparable between males (158 mf/ml) and females (161 mf/ml). There was an increase in the total mf GMI with age, which peaked in the oldest age group. The highest individual mf intensity observed was 4311 mf/ml in a 53-year-old woman.