Abstract

A study on the effect of diethylcarbamazine (DEC) (Supatonin) against Brugia malayi infection was conducted on Cheju Island in September 1965. A total of 182 persons living in a village of Aiwol Myun, Bukcheju-Gun was examined for microfilaraemia. Microscopic examination of smears of 20 microliter of blood revealed a microfilaria positivity rate of 28.5 per cent. At the end of September 1965, 34 confirmed microfilaria positive cases were treated with DEC at a daily dosage of 5 mg/kg body weight. A full course of 12 days of drug administration divided of two rounds for 6 days each was used. The first round of treatment was given under a strict supervision of the author in order to observe carefully side-effects of the drug. The second round of treatment was given in January 1966. The microfilaria density in 20 microliter of blood of those who received the drug was checked four times; before the treatment, during the first round of the treatment, 2 weeks and 4 months after the completion of the first round. The pre-treatment mean microfilaria density of 104.6 diminished to nearly zero (only two cases with one microfilaria respectively) 2 weeks after the first round and again slightly rose up to 0.5 four months after the first round. These results indicate that DEC (Supatonin) is highly effective to eliminate the microfilaria of B. malayi. However, severe side-effects, e.g. fever (average 38.6C, maximum 39.7C), headache, backache and seldom abdominal discomfort ect. were observed. There were two cases of withdrawal from the scheme due to refusal.