Indonesia's Filariasis Prevalence Reaches 1.5% in 2023, Highest in Central Papua

2023 Indonesian Health Survey (SKI) data from the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) reveals that the prevalence of filariasis, or elephantiasis, across all age groups in Indonesia reached 1.5% last year.

This figure was obtained from an examination of a weighted sample (n) of 877,531 people.

Central Papua had the highest national prevalence of elephantiasis, at 4.8% from a weighted sample (n) of 4,577 people.

Next are Central Kalimantan and Papua, with the same prevalence of 2.7%. The weighted sample (n) for Central Kalimantan was 8,737 and for Papua 3,299 people.

This is followed by Bangka Belitung at 2.5% from a weighted sample (n) of 4,763 and Papua Mountains at 2.4% from a weighted sample (n) of 4,563.

Outside the top five, there is West Sulawesi with a prevalence of 2.3%; West Papua 2.3%; South Papua 2.3%; Aceh 2.1%; and North Maluku 2.1%.

Meanwhile, the lowest prevalence of elephantiasis was found in West Nusa Tenggara at 0.9%; Bali at 0.9%; and North Kalimantan at 1.1%.

Citing the Siloam Hospitals website, elephantiasis is an infectious disease caused by filarial worms. This disease is considered chronic because it can cause mild or acute swelling.

"This swelling can occur in lymph nodes in any part of the body, such as the legs, arms, or face," wrote Siloam Hospitals under the assessment of Shelly Laksmisari, a specialist in internal medicine, quoted on Tuesday (23/7/2024).

Other symptoms of elephantiasis include milky urine, weakness, and liver problems.

This disease is transmitted through mosquito bites to healthy humans. Filarial worms carried by mosquitoes will enter the lymphatic vessels when the mosquito bites a human.

"It can be said that elephantiasis or filariasis is a dangerous infectious disease, because the carrier mosquitoes can come from every variant of mosquito species," wrote Siloam Hospitals.

The following is the complete prevalence of elephantiasis by province in Indonesia in 2023:

* Aceh 2.1%
* North Sumatra 1.4%
* West Sumatra 1.8%
* Riau 1.8%
* Jambi 1.5%
* South Sumatra 1.7%
* Bengkulu 1.6%
* Lampung 1.9%
* Bangka Belitung 2.5%
* Riau Islands 1.3%
* Jakarta 1.2%
* West Java 1.5%
* Central Java 1.5%
* Yogyakarta 1.4%
* East Java 1.2%
* Banten 1.6%
* Bali 0.9%
* West Nusa Tenggara 0.9%
* East Nusa Tenggara 1.9%
* West Kalimantan 1.5%
* Central Kalimantan 2.7%
* South Kalimantan 1.9%
* East Kalimantan 1.9%
* North Kalimantan 1.1%
* North Sulawesi 1.3%
* Central Sulawesi 1.4%
* South Sulawesi 1.2%
* Southeast Sulawesi 1.7%
* Gorontalo 1.6%
* West Sulawesi 2.3%
* Maluku 1.9%
* North Maluku 2.1%
* West Papua 2.3%
* Southwest Papua 1.7%
* Papua 2.7%
* South Papua 2.3%
* Central Papua 4.8%
* Papua Mountains 2.4%

(Also read: Toddlers and Early Adolescents Most Affected by Dengue Fever in 2023)