#00064637

A 36-year old male, with suspected infective etiology. Blood samples should be collected at a time of day, with the known periodicity of microfilariae in the specific geographic region, which is between 22:00 and 02:00 hours for nocturnally periodic forms of brugian and bancroftian filariasis.

Detecting microfilaria in peripheral blood with or without Diethylcarbamazine citrate provocation is the common diagnostic modality in suspected cases. Highly sensitive and specific filarial antigen detection assays by ELISA method. This test is positive in early stages of the disease when the adult worms are alive and becomes negative once they are dead. DNA probes using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)test is of high specificity and sensitivity to  detects parasite DNA in humans and vectors in both bancroftian and brugian filariasis.