Human and Animal Filariases The rational approach to controlling human and animal diseases caused by nematodes Filariae are a family of parasitic worms which infect animals and humans, causing severe diseases such as elephantiasis (lymphatic filariasis) and river blindness (onchocerciasis) in humans, as well as heartworm disease (dirofilariasis) in dogs and cats. While the human diseases are rarely fatal, the blindness and disfiguration resulting from these infections constitute a severe burden for the affected individuals and to the healthcare systems in many tropical countries. In 2017, the World Health Organization classified several filariases as neglected tropical diseases and announced a new program seeking to eradicate these infections, which has in turn sparked a new push to develop antifilarial drugs. Considering the current and future import of this topic, Human and Animal Filariases takes a comprehensive look at infections by filarial parasites in humans and in animals. It begins by reviewing the current state of diagnosis and chemotherapy, before addressing the increasing resistance to available antifilarial drugs. This is followed by strategies and approaches for the discovery of novel drugs and finally by looking at alternative and supplementary approaches to combat the parasites, including vector control and vaccination. Human and Animal Filariases readers will find: A comprehensive approach that integrates current chemotherapy with recent advances in antifilarial drug discovery Practical information on assay development, target validation, and required drug product profiles Insights from global experts from leading academic institutions as well as from pharma and healthcare companies Human and Animal Filariases is a unique reference for parasitologists, veterinarians, as well as professionals in the pharmaceutical industry and in public health agencies.

Lymphatic Filariasis (LF) is a group of human and animal infectious diseases caused by nematode parasites of the order Filariidae. Often neglected, it is one of the oldest and the most debilitating tropical diseases (NTDs), transmitted from human to human by mosquitoes bites, particularly the brown black mosquito known as Culex quinquifasciatus. LF is a major public health problem in many parts of the tropics, especially India, which accounts for as much as 40% of total global cases. As a leading cause of permanent and long-term disability worldwide, the parasite infection imposes a severe physical and socioeconomic burden. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 1.4 billion people live in high-risk areas – 120 million of which are already infected with LF, including 22 million children below the age of 15 and about 76 million who suffer from damaged lymphatic and renal systems. India has made great strides toward eliminating the disease, and these advances are of global significance. They include early diagnosis mechanisms, vaccine product development, detection of parasites in the vector, and studies on parasite evolution trends in nature as warning signals. Reports on the successes and failures are needed to enable measures to be taken to avoid disaster and ensure a smooth transition from endemicity in India to the elimination of lymphatic filariasis by 2020. This book, which gathers highly original contributions on various subjects related to lymphatic filariasis, discusses the latest scientific research that will help the nation to achieve this milestone. It also serves as a guide to many other countries struggling against this highly debilitating and incapacitating disease.

Filarial parasites affect over 130 million people in tropical and subtropical regions of the world, causing prolonged and debilitating illnesses ranging from lymphatic inflammation and elephantiasis to skin disease and blindness. This wide-ranging book, the outcome of an international symposium, focuses on the host-parasite interaction in lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis. Papers examine all aspects of the pathological and immunological consequences of infection as well as diagnosis, treatment, and control of filarial disease.

Featuring the work of several world authorities, this volume places primary emphasis on the mechanism of parasite produced changes in the immune response (i.e. immunosuppression). The text covers parasitic diseases on which the World Health Organization has aggressively promoted research through its Program on Research and Training In Tropical Diseases. Chapters cover parasitic diseases such as malaria, American trypanosomiasis (Chagas' disease), African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness), leishmaniasis, schistosomiasis and onchocerciasis. Also included are discussions of toxoplasmosis and amebiasis. The material is drawn from the body of literature that has been rapidly accumulating for the last 15 years. An important feature of this text is that the contributors first outline existing knowledge about the immunology of each infection, thereby enabling the reader to more easily appreciate why and how the immunological alterations that accompany a disease are important, and then, to review the postulated mechanisms for such alterations. Consequently, the impact that each parasitic infection has on the immune system is always described in the "heart" of each chapter rather than at the beginning.