Filariasis cases in Maldivian capital rises to 7

Health Protection Agency (HPA) announced on Sunday that six new cases of filariasis have been confirmed in the greater Male’ area, increasing total cases in the region to seven.

Cases of filariasis - a disease which was eradicated from Maldives in 2016 – was originally detected from Kulhudhuffushi City.

16 cases of filariasis were detected during a health screening camp targeting the city’s migrant population on December 14 – run by the Kulhudhuffushi Regional Hospital in collaboration with HPA and other health agencies.

Since then, the number of cases in the northern city has risen to 25.

The first case outside of Kulhudhuffushi was detected on Friday – one out of 13 migrant workers who were tested during a migrant fair in Hulhumale’.

On Tuesday, HPA confirmed six more cases from the greater Male’ area.

According to HPA, the six new cases were detected during screening of 89 migrants in Male’, Hulhumale’, Vilimale’, Gulhifalhu, and Thilafushi over the weekend.

Five of the new cases were from Hulhumale, and one was from Male’ City.

According to HPA, total 683 people have been screened for the disease from Kulhudhuffushi – 439 migrants and 155 Maldivians.

25 tested positive.

The new cases increase total filariasis cases in the Maldives to 32.

So far, the cases have been restricted to the country’s migrant population.

Filariasis is a disease caused by a chronic mosquito-borne parasitic infection. Chronic infection can lead to swelling of the extremities, hydroceles, and testicular masses. It is the second-largest cause of permanent deformity and disability behind leprosy worldwide.

HPA has stated that the migrants who tested positive for filariasis originated from endemic countries.