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Lymphatic FilariasesNCT03131401

Prevalence of LF Infection in Districts Not Included in LF Control Activities

An observational study of Lymphatic Filariases and Onchocerciasis, run by Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research at 1 site in Ghana.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

Lymphatic filariasis is a neglected tropical disease earmarked for elimination as a public health problem by the year 2020. Since the year 2000, the Global Program for the Elimination of LF has together with endemic countries undertaken preventive chemotherapy in endemic districts to entire at risk populations. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 5 years and older
Conditions the study is for
Lymphatic Filariases, Onchocerciasis
What is being tested?
Diagnosis of lymphatic filariasis, Diagnosis of lymphatic Filariasis and onchocerciasis and DEC Patch
How many people
3,736 participants
Where
1 siteGhana
Study dates
21 Jan 2018to 30 Aug 2018
Phase
Observational
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 5 years and older
  • All sexes
  • Child, Adult, Older adult

Study population: The study will be conducted in districts considered non-endemic for LF based on the Ghana wide LF mapping conducted in 2000, but where LF cases have been identified. These districts fall within the Eastern and Volta Regions. At least one district has been selected in each of these regions. The selected study districts are East Akim, Hohoe and Adaklu. East Akim and Hohoe districts are also endemic for onchocerciasis.

Who may be able to join

  • Willingness to provide informed consent (or assent with parental/guardian consent)
  • Age ≥ 5 years
  • Residency in the study villages since birth or for at least the previous five years

Who cannot join

  • Inability to come out of bed
  • Feeling sick
  • Inability to provide consent

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Ghana1 site
  • Villages in Eastern and Volta Region

    Eastern and Volta Regions

Other trials in Ghana

About this study

Official title: Determination of the Prevalence of LF Infection in Districts Not Included in LF Control Activities and of the Basis for Integrated Implementation of LF - Onchocerciasis Elimination Strategies in Potentially Co-endemic Areas

Lymphatic filariasis is a neglected tropical disease earmarked for elimination as a public health problem by the year 2020. Since the year 2000, the Global Program for the Elimination of LF has together with endemic countries undertaken preventive chemotherapy in endemic districts to entire at risk populations. In Ghana, treatment of LF is based on the drugs Ivermectin and Albendazole. Remarkable achievements have been made towards the control and elimination of LF in Ghana. However, there remain programmatic and implementation challenges that need to be addressed in order to ensure that the gains made over the last 15 years are sustained. Among these challenges is the persistent transmission of LF in some districts despite more than 10 years of MDA.

Furthermore, LF cases have been identified in communities from eight districts, previously considered as non-endemic. The extent of endemicity in these new districts is unknown. In order to achieve the 2020 elimination targets, it is crucial to determine the distribution and infection prevalence of LF in these districts. Evaluating these districts for LF endemicity will help the implementation of appropriate strategies towards achieving the 2020 target.

Read more

This protocol describes the surveys to be undertaken in Ghana in 3 of these districts. The current standard mapping methodologies of LF have the potential to miss LF endemic villages, due to the focal nature of LF. As such, in order to enhance the chances to detect endemic communities, this survey will use a combination of the WHO EPI cluster survey and current LF mapping protocols. 15 communities will be selected in each district, with 100 survey participants per community. Survey participants will be screened for LF infection using immunological and parasitological methods. Study participants will also be tested for onchocerciasis infection using immunological and parasitological methods in districts where LF and oncho are co-endemic. The information from this survey will be combined with the data on the LF vectors and their infection status in the survey areas and relevant data available at the Ghana Health Service to:

  1. determine whether LF intervention strategies are indicated in these three districts,
  2. design, as indicated, appropriate intervention strategies to achieve LF elimination in these three districts by 2020
  3. inform, if indicated, co-implementation of control, monitoring and evaluation for LF and onchocerciasis in the two onchocerciasis endemic districts
  4. extract lessons learnt for the design and implementation of surveys in the other districts currently considered non-endemic but where LF cases have been reported.

New rapid diagnostic tests have been developed to assess infection Lf and onchocerciasis infection prevalence at the time of the decision to stop MDA and for surveillance for new infections once MDA has been stopped. These include Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDT) for antibodies against the W. bancrofti antigen WB123 and the O. volvulus antigen Ov16. These tests still require large scale field validation. Provided additional funding becomes available, this survey will be used to obtain field validation data.

Being tested
Diagnosis of lymphatic filariasis, Diagnosis of lymphatic Filariasis and onchocerciasis, DEC Patch
Medical subject headings
Elephantiasis, Filarial, Onchocerciasis

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Diagnosis of lymphatic filariasisDiagnostic test

    Also called Filaria Test Strip, Wb123 RDT

    Field validation of the diagnostic performance of diagnostic tests for infection with W. bancrofti.

  • Diagnosis of lymphatic Filariasis and onchocerciasisDiagnostic test

    Also called Wb123-Ov16 RDT

    Field validation of the diagnostic performance of diagnostic tests for infection with both W. bancrofti and O. volvulus.

  • DEC PatchDiagnostic test

    Also called Diagnosis of onchocerciasis

    Field validation of the diagnostic performance of diagnostic tests for infection with O. volvulus.

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Prevalence of lymphatic Filariasis

    To determine the prevalence and distribution of LF infection in three districts previously considered non-endemic but reporting LF cases

    Measured: 3 months

  2. Measures of protection

    To determine what measures the population in these districts use to protect themselves from mosquito bites

    Measured: 3 months

  3. Prevalence on Onchocerciasis

    To determine the prevalence and intensity of infection with O. volvulus in two of these three districts known to be onchocerciasis endemic

    Measured: 3 months

  4. Vectors of lymphatic Filariasis

    To determine the LF vectors in three districts considered non-endemic for LF

    Measured: 6 months

  5. Wuchereria bancrofti infection in vectors

    To assess the prevalence of W. bancrofti infection in mosquitoes in these districts.

    Measured: 12 months

Secondary outcomes (1)
  1. Performance of diagnostic tests

    To characterize the diagnostic performance via the standard parameters sensitivity and specificity of different diagnostic tests

    Measured: 12 months

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted27 Apr 2017
  2. Study start21 Jan 2018
  3. Primary completion30 Aug 2018
  4. Study completion30 Aug 2018

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Observational
Observational model
Ecologic or community
Time perspective
Cross-sectional
Enrolment
3,736 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT03131401
Sponsor's protocol ID
TDR B40376
Status last verified
Oct 2018
First submitted
27 Feb 2017
Last updated
11 Oct 2018
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Lymphatic Filariases and Onchocerciasis, run by Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research at 1 site in Ghana.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 3 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 11 Oct 2018. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Ghana. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Prevalence of lymphatic Filariasis (time frame: 3 months). The study lists 5 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 11 Oct 2018.

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