Global mapping of lymphatic filariasis.

Disease maps are becoming increasingly important in infectious disease epidemiology and control. For lymphatic filariasis, the development of such maps has been hampered in the past by the lack of data on the geographical distribution of levels of infection or disease. Here, Edwin Michael and Don Bundy present an atlas for this parasitic disease derived from a recently compiled geographical database. Focusing on mapping and analysis of case prevalence data at the global and regional levels, the authors show how mapping the geographical distribution is integral not only to assessing spatial patterns in the infection and disease distribution but also to stratifying endemic areas by infection and/or disease rate.