India, April 27 -- The Pune district health department will send out special night squads to begin active surveillance for lymphatic filariasis (LF), also known as elephantiasis, amid concerns over a possible silent spread of the disease in the district, officials said on Saturday.

While Pune is not part of Maharashtra's routine filariasis surveillance network, which covers 18 endemic districts, it has reported 44 cases since January 2026, largely among migrants. Officials warned that the absence of active surveillance increases the risk of local transmission, especially given the disease's long incubation period.

Dr Aparna Patil, Pune district malaria officer, said the surveillance drive will begin next month. "The disease can remain h...