- Email: [email protected]
Filariasis on the web
Where on the web Filariasis on the web Towards Elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis
Eliminating Lymphatic Filariasis
www.pondicherry.nic.in/fil-free This is an excellent site from the Indian Council of Medical Research, despite some deficiencies. It provide very good information on filariasis for both the local and world situation, including the various vectors of filariasis. The home page is neatly put together, except that it is a bit slow to load, probably due to the animated advertisements and photographs. Some of the pages on the site would benefit from additional information: for example, the page on “Epidemiology/control”, where the exact figures for the disease burden should have been included for India and the rest of the world. “Parasite control” mentions diethylcarbamazine but no other drug. This is the drug used in India, but what of the drugs such as ivermectin used in other countries? The section on “Diagnosis” omits microscopic examination, and the source of the ELISA and immunochromatographic test kits should be mentioned. Nevertheless, this a site I would recommend for some excellent information on filariasis.
www.filariasis.org/index.shtml This is the site of the WHO. Considering the site sponsor, it was a bit of a disappointment. It does provide some good information on filariasis. The real plus point is that it provides you with valuable links, especially to other WHO sites and literature on filariasis, which are fairly recent and informative. The pages of the site do provide very good data on the disease, but there are a few gaps which need to be filled and some errors which have to be rectified. For example, in the section on “Diagnosis”, there is no information on routine microscopy. Although this is given as a separate link called “microfilaria detection”, it can be included in the diagnosis page rather than separately because otherwise it gives the wrong impression that the only diagnostic method is antigen detection. There is no information on the vector. The only link on the site regarding the vector is in the
page on “Prevention”. This too gives only a photograph of the vector and no name as well as no list of different vectors. Similarly, the “Photo Gallery” contains some pictures of microfilaria and the vector. In the microfilaria pictures, names have not been mentioned. In addition, there is one glaring error: the photo www.filariasis.org/ photo_parasite3.shtml is an adult worm rather than a microfilaria.
Overall, the site does give good information and there are some excellent links, but it needs a bit of improvement.
Lymphatic Filariasis www.hdi.no/filariasis/index.html This is very basic and simple site and is probably meant to provide some brief data on the elimination of filariasis. The home page seems to be bereft of really good links. When you open the pages such as “Introduction” and “Disease”, they hardly contain any data and what they do contain is incomplete. For example, in the “Elimination” section, no mention is made of control measures such as insecticides, biological control, or environmental control. In the Disease section, there is no mention of the aetiological agents of the disease. The site is probably meant for laypersons who need a working knowledge of filariasis. for whom it does provide adequate data. Rakesh Sehgal [email protected]
THE LANCET Infectious Diseases Vol 2 January 2002
61
For personal use. Only reproduce with permission from The Lancet Publishing Group.
Eliminating Lymphatic Filariasis
www.pondicherry.nic.in/fil-free This is an excellent site from the Indian Council of Medical Research, despite some deficiencies. It provide very good information on filariasis for both the local and world situation, including the various vectors of filariasis. The home page is neatly put together, except that it is a bit slow to load, probably due to the animated advertisements and photographs. Some of the pages on the site would benefit from additional information: for example, the page on “Epidemiology/control”, where the exact figures for the disease burden should have been included for India and the rest of the world. “Parasite control” mentions diethylcarbamazine but no other drug. This is the drug used in India, but what of the drugs such as ivermectin used in other countries? The section on “Diagnosis” omits microscopic examination, and the source of the ELISA and immunochromatographic test kits should be mentioned. Nevertheless, this a site I would recommend for some excellent information on filariasis.
www.filariasis.org/index.shtml This is the site of the WHO. Considering the site sponsor, it was a bit of a disappointment. It does provide some good information on filariasis. The real plus point is that it provides you with valuable links, especially to other WHO sites and literature on filariasis, which are fairly recent and informative. The pages of the site do provide very good data on the disease, but there are a few gaps which need to be filled and some errors which have to be rectified. For example, in the section on “Diagnosis”, there is no information on routine microscopy. Although this is given as a separate link called “microfilaria detection”, it can be included in the diagnosis page rather than separately because otherwise it gives the wrong impression that the only diagnostic method is antigen detection. There is no information on the vector. The only link on the site regarding the vector is in the
page on “Prevention”. This too gives only a photograph of the vector and no name as well as no list of different vectors. Similarly, the “Photo Gallery” contains some pictures of microfilaria and the vector. In the microfilaria pictures, names have not been mentioned. In addition, there is one glaring error: the photo www.filariasis.org/ photo_parasite3.shtml is an adult worm rather than a microfilaria.
Overall, the site does give good information and there are some excellent links, but it needs a bit of improvement.
Lymphatic Filariasis www.hdi.no/filariasis/index.html This is very basic and simple site and is probably meant to provide some brief data on the elimination of filariasis. The home page seems to be bereft of really good links. When you open the pages such as “Introduction” and “Disease”, they hardly contain any data and what they do contain is incomplete. For example, in the “Elimination” section, no mention is made of control measures such as insecticides, biological control, or environmental control. In the Disease section, there is no mention of the aetiological agents of the disease. The site is probably meant for laypersons who need a working knowledge of filariasis. for whom it does provide adequate data. Rakesh Sehgal [email protected]
THE LANCET Infectious Diseases Vol 2 January 2002
61
For personal use. Only reproduce with permission from The Lancet Publishing Group.