Lymphatic filariasis

Elephantiasis

Lymphatic filariasis is widespread and infects 120 million people

Lymphatic filariasis mainly affects tropical parts of the developing world.

It is caused by the nematode Wuchereria bancrofti

◦ responsible for 90% of the cases

It is transmitted by mosquitos of several genera.

◦Culex◦Anopheles◦Aedes

Humans and mosquitos are the 2 hosts of the parasites.

Asymptomatic

Acute

Chronic

There are three types of infection.

Acute filariasis involves local inflammation of skin, lymphatic vessels and lymph nodes.

The chronic disease results in Lymphedema and Elephantiasis

Several studies suggest that the body’s immune response to the pathogen causes the most harm.

The only way to diagnose the disease is to identify microfilariae or adult worms in a patients blood using a microscope.

The drug of choice in treating lymphatic filariasis is diethylcarbamazine (DEC).

There is not thought to be a problem with resistance to DEC.

WHO’s Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis has greatly increased treatment and decreased transmission by 43%.

There is a large social stigma against those with elephantiasis in many countries.

ReferencesEberhard, Mark L., Patrick J. Lammie, Charlotte M. Dickinson, and Jacqueline M. Roberts. "Evidence of Nonsusceptibility to Diethylcarbamazine in Wucheria Bancrofti." The Journal of Infectious Diseases, May 1991. Web. 2 Apr. 2012. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/30132517?seq=1>.  Heeren, Dan. "Elephantiasis." Davidson College, 2006. Web. 02 Apr. 2012. <http://www.bio.davidson.edu/courses/immunology/Students/spring2006/Heeren/ele ph.html>.  King CL, Kumaraswami V, Poindexter RW, Kumari S, Jayara-man K, Alling DW, Ottesen EA, Nutman TB. “Immunologic tol-erance in lymphatic filariasis. Diminished parasite-specific T and B lymphocyte precursor frequency in the microfilaremic state.” J Clin Invest. 1992 May;89(5):1403–1410. "Lymphatic Filariasis: Causes." Better Medicine, 2011. Web. 02 Apr. 2012. <http://www.localhealth.com/article/lymphatic-filariasis/causes>.  "Lymphatic Filariasis." WHO. Jan. 2012. Web. 02 Apr. 2012. <http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs102/en/>.  Wynd, Shona, Wayne D. Melrose, David N. Durheim, Jaime Carron, and Margaret Gyapong. "Understanding the Community Impact of Lymphatic Filariasis: A Review of the Sociocultural Literature." WHO. June 2007. Web. 02 Apr. 2012. <http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/85/6/06-031047/en/index.html>.