No lymphatic filariasis disease reported in Pune

In a milestone in Pune district's efforts to eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (LF) or Elephantiasis, not a single case of the microfilarial disease was found in the entire district during a first-of-its-kind screening drive held between December 9 and 14, officials said on Thursday.

- Vicky Pathare

PUNE:

The weeklong drive covered 21 blocks of Pune district wherein a total of 12,600 individuals were screened for the disease. Of the 12,600 people screened for LF, 6,000 people were from Pune rural, 3,600 people from Pune city, and 3,000 people from Pimpri-Chinchwad. According to officials, each block has a population of 5 lakh and 600 samples were taken for testing from each block.

Out of the 600 samples, 300 were random while the remaining 300 belonged to citizens vulnerable to LF infection, they said. Blood samples were collected only at night between 8 pm and 12 am, which is a critical period for detecting microfilarial parasites.