Effect of annual mass administration of diethylcarbamazine and albendazole on bancroftian filariasis in five villages in south India

Annual mass drug administration (MDA) is the recommended strategy for lymphatic filariasis (LF) elimination. We assessed the effect of six rounds of mass administration of diethylcarbamazine (DEC) and albendazole (ALB) on microfilaria (Mf) prevalence and intensity and vector infection and infectivity rates and circulating filarial antigenaemia (CFA) in a group of five villages in south India, endemic for Culex-transmitted bancroftian filariasis. During different rounds of MDA, 60–70% of the eligible population (>15 kg body weight) was treated. The MDA reduced the Mf prevalence from 8.10% (CI 6.18–10.01) to 1.01% (CI 0.31–1.71) ( P