Background Lymphatic Filariasis (LF) is a vector-borne neglected tropical disease caused by the filarial nematode parasites that can lead to the disfiguring swelling of the limbs (lymphedema or elephantiasis for late stage) and/or genitalia (hydrocele) in men. Growing evidence suggests that not only are filarial lymphedema patients confronted with huge societal stigma and discrimination, but also experience acute filarial attacks accompanied by swelling of the affected part(s), fever, wounds and peeling of the skin of affected limbs(s). However, the extent to which seasonal variation influence filarial attacks among people with lymphedema was highly speculated without empirical evidence and was thus investigated. Methods In light of this, a cross-sectional study where 142 (70.4% females and 29.6% males) lymphedema patients were recruited from 8 established Wuchereria bancrofti endemic communities in the Ahanta West District, Ghana was carried out to investigate the prevalence and seasonal variation (rainy/wet and dry seasons) of acute filarial attacks. Chi-square test was used to test for association between frequency of attacks and seasonality. The STROBE guidelines for reporting cross-sectional studies was adopted. Results The average lymphedema leg stage was 2.37 and 2.33 for left and right legs, respectively, while mossy lesions, sores and ulcers were observed among 33.1% of patients with late stage disease (elephantiasis). It was found that 97 (68.3%) of the study participants experience filarial attacks during the wet season and 36 (25.4%) reported the incidence of filarial attacks during both seasons (wet and dry) while 9 (6.3%) of the study participants did not experience any attack at all. Conclusions Findings from the present study show compelling evidence that the frequency and the prevalence of filarial attacks is significantly increased during wet seasons compared to the dry season. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12879-019-4084-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

BackgroundFilarial pathologies such as lymphedema may be associated with complications such as chronic non-healing wounds. Nonetheless, the role of bacterial population colonizing the lymphedematous legs has been posited to worsen the conditions of those living with the infection. These bacteria are usually composed of staphylococcal species partly because they are commensals. Thus, this present study sought to type the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) prevalence among individuals presenting with filarial lymphedema, particularly as MRSA tends to affect treatments options.MethodsWe recruited individuals (n = 321) with stages I–VII of lymphedema in a cross-sectional study in the Ahanta West district of the Western Region of Ghana. Swabs from lymphedematous limb ulcers, pus, and cutaneous surfaces were cultured using standard culture-based techniques. The culture isolates were later identified using Matrix-assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time of Flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry.ResultsA total of 192 Staphylococci species were isolated, with an overall prevalence of 39.7% (95% CI: 35%–44%; N = 483). S. hominis was the most prevalent species (23.95%), followed by S. haemolyticus (20.83%), S. epidermidis (15.10%), S. aureus (10.41%), and S. saprophyticus (9.32%). The remaining 20.34% were distributed among S. wanneri, S. sciuri, S. pasteuri, S. xylosus, S. simulans, S. cohnii, S. caprae, S. lugdunensis, and S. capitis. MRSA, containing mecA gene, was detected in 21 out of 31 Staphylococci isolates tested, with an overall prevalence of 68% (95% CI: 51%–84%). In addition, a virulent gene, Panton–Valentine leukocidin (PVL), which is usually associated with S. aureus, was detected in 20/31 (64.5%) S. aureus in the study.ConclusionThese results suggest that MRSA species may pose a challenge to the treatment of filarial lymphedema with antibiotics particularly, as doxycycline is currently being piloted in some endemic areas to treat the infection. Thus, intensive antimicrobial resistance surveillance should be conducted in endemic areas by health authorities to forestall the dilemma of multidrug resistance not only against lymphatic filariasis (LF) infection but other diseases.

Background Human lymphatic filarial pathology is the leading cause of disability and poverty among people living with the infection. The second goal of the Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF) is to manage the disease’s morbidity to improve patients’ quality of life. Consequently, the current study assessed the overall quality of life of lymphatic filariasis (LF) pathology patients in some selected endemic communities in rural Ghana. Method In the present study, the Lymphatic Filariasis Quality of Life Questionnaire (LFSQQ) was used to evaluate the effect of lymphatic filariasis on the quality of life of people, with the disease in nine (9) communities in the Ahanta West District of the Western Region of Ghana where mass drug administration is being implemented for the past twenty years. Pearson’s correlation, linear regression, and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) analyses were used to assess the associations between the LFSQQ instrument domains. Results Of the 155 study participants recruited, 115 (74.19%) were females, and 40 (25.81%) males. A greater proportion of the study participants (40, 25.8%) were presented with stage two (2) lymphoedema, while only two patients had stage seven (7) lymphoedema. The average of the overall quality of life scores of study participants was 68.24. There was a negative Pearson correlation (r = − 0.504, p-value < 0.001) between the stage of lymphoedema (severity of the disease) and the quality of life of the LF patients. In addition, a clear pattern of positive correlation (r = 0.71, p-value < 0.001) was observed between the disease burden and pain/discomfort domains of the study participants. Whereas the highest domain-specific score (85.03) was observed in the domain of self-care, we noted that the environmental domain, which consists of the financial status, was the lowest (45.94) among the study participants. Conclusion Our findings support previous works on the reduced quality of life among lymphatic filariasis patients with pathology. In this study, our results reveal a depressing financial condition among people presenting with late stages of LF pathologies, which eventually reduces their well-being.