“A powerful, beautifully written dystopian tale concerning four inhabitants of a gigantic but dying artificial habitat.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review A drug-addled boy, living in dank recesses, sets out in an ancient car to find his ex, who has mysteriously vanished. A privileged girl, obsessed with the past and exiled by her esteemed father, learns more about her long-lost ancestors than she ever could have wished for. An old man, on his hundredth birthday, deserts his quiet post as an elevator operator, climbing the great shaft in hopes of seeing the fabled topmost level before he dies. And a fisherman, seeking answers to why his once-vibrant wife is now chronically ailing and wasting away, begins a quest to find and confront the god of all gods. They are four inhabitants of a strange, crumbling realm, and in this novel their stories intersect and wrap around each other like subterranean tunnels—revealing deeply disturbing truths about the artificial world in which they live. “A disquieting, claustrophobic, compelling hybrid of China Miéville and J.G. Ballard.” —Peter Watts, author of Blindsight “A great read, crackling with invention, energy, and suspense.” —Quill & Quire

This book provides up-to-date information on lymphatic filariasis supported with abundant images, tables and algorithms. It is a first such monograph on a disease that has varied presentations which are complete clinical entities, such as chyluria, hydrocele, elephantiasis, etc. This book consists of three parts, parasitology, acute clinical manifestations and chronic presentations of the disease. Approximately 120 million people are infected with lymphatic filariasis in tropical and subtropical countries. About a third of these suffer clinical consequences of this infection, and many are seriously disfigured. India, Indonesia and Nigeria are the most endemic countries in the world. In spite of Global Control Program of WHO, filariasis continues to be a significant medical challenge and current efforts underway will take a long time to bring it under control. Lymphatic Filariasis is meant for general surgeons, physicians, urologists and plastic surgeons, including the postgraduate students. Useful for epidemiologists, internists, and those involved in filariasis prevention programs.

Filarial nematodes constitute and important group of human pathogens in tropical regions of the world. Diseases associated with these worms are generally separated into two categories: filariasis, caused by infections of lymphatic dwelling parasites and onchocerciasis, or river blindness, caused by infections of Onchocerca volvulus. Other filariae specifically infect humans and it is likely that zoonotic filarial infections may alter the outcome of infections with human parasites. The chapters in this book will cover concepts that, in most instances, overlap all of these parasites as well as focus on new and emerging ideas. The Filaria, volume five of World Class Parasites, is written for researchers, students and scholars who enjoy reading research that has a major impact on human health, or agricultural productivity, and against which we have no satisfactory defense. It is intended to supplement more formal texts that cover taxonomy, life cycles, morphology, vector distribution, symptoms and treatment. It integrates vector, pathogen and host biology and celebrates the diversity of approach that comprises modern parasitological research.

Lymphatic Filariasis (LF) is a group of human and animal infectious diseases caused by nematode parasites of the order Filariidae. Often neglected, it is one of the oldest and the most debilitating tropical diseases (NTDs), transmitted from human to human by mosquitoes bites, particularly the brown black mosquito known as Culex quinquifasciatus. LF is a major public health problem in many parts of the tropics, especially India, which accounts for as much as 40% of total global cases. As a leading cause of permanent and long-term disability worldwide, the parasite infection imposes a severe physical and socioeconomic burden. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 1.4 billion people live in high-risk areas – 120 million of which are already infected with LF, including 22 million children below the age of 15 and about 76 million who suffer from damaged lymphatic and renal systems. India has made great strides toward eliminating the disease, and these advances are of global significance. They include early diagnosis mechanisms, vaccine product development, detection of parasites in the vector, and studies on parasite evolution trends in nature as warning signals. Reports on the successes and failures are needed to enable measures to be taken to avoid disaster and ensure a smooth transition from endemicity in India to the elimination of lymphatic filariasis by 2020. This book, which gathers highly original contributions on various subjects related to lymphatic filariasis, discusses the latest scientific research that will help the nation to achieve this milestone. It also serves as a guide to many other countries struggling against this highly debilitating and incapacitating disease.

The World Health Report 1995 is the first in a planned annual series whose purpose is to provide a diagnosis of the state of human health worldwide. Subtitled bridging the gap, the 1995 issue highlights the inequities in health and health care and the need for a more even and just distribution of the existing knowledge and technology to prevent and control disease. The Organization's contributions to world health are explained and future priorities identified. Ensuring value for money and reducing poverty are regarded as imperative. A comprehensive annex of statistical data is provided.