Pune Municipal Corporation has begun a two-month night blood survey to detect lymphatic filariasis among construction workers and migrant workers, targeting sites where workers live and work across the city. The campaign, conducted jointly with the state health department, is intended to identify infections early and check whether local transmission is continuing.
The blood samples are being collected between 9pm and midnight, when the microscopic parasites that cause filariasis are most likely to be present in the bloodstream. Dr Rajesh Dighe, PMC assistant health officer leading the campaign, said the exercise began on October 14 and would continue for two months.
“ Our campaign started on Oct 14 and will go on for two months. Blood samples are being collected between 9pm and midnight, when the microscopic parasites that cause the disease are most likely to be detected in a person’s bloodstream,” Dighe said.
The survey will focus on construction sites with worker accommodation. PMC ward offices have been instructed to deploy six staff members for sample collection. Civic health teams have also asked construction-site managers and contractors to cooperate and encourage workers to participate in the voluntary screening programme.
Lymphatic filariasis, commonly known as elephantiasis, is a mosquito-borne parasitic infection caused primarily by Wuchereria bancrofti, a type of roundworm. It is transmitted through the bite of an infected female Culex quinquefasciatus mosquito. The infection is not contagious, and many people may not show immediate symptoms.
However, long-term infection can cause disabling swelling of the limbs, genitals or breasts, along with severe pain and recurrent bacterial infections. Health officials have identified construction and migrant workers as a high-risk group because Pune attracts workers from states where filariasis is prevalent.
Filariasis is not endemic in Pune, according to the report, but infected mosquitoes can potentially spread the infection locally if they bite infected people and subsequently transmit the parasite to others. This makes worker accommodation, construction sites and surrounding areas relevant to the city’s vector-control response.
Guidelines issued by the National Centre for Vector Borne Diseases Control recommend night blood surveys or filarial antigen tests to determine whether transmission is continuing in areas where the disease is a concern. The PMC campaign is using the night-time sampling window specified for detecting the parasites in the bloodstream.
Civic authorities have advised residents to prevent water from accumulating around homes and worksites, use mosquito nets or repellents at night, and report persistent swelling of the limbs to the nearest civic health facility. The ongoing survey will remain in place for two months, with PMC ward teams responsible for collecting samples at participating sites.
