User:Mr. Ibrahem/Lymphatic filariasis
| Lymphatic filariasis | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Elephantiasis tropica,[1] elephantiasis arabum[1] |
 | |
| Bellevue Venus; Oscar G. Mason's portrait of a woman with elephantiasis. | |
| Symptoms | None, severe swelling of the arms, legs, or genitals[2] |
| Causes | Filarial worms spread by mosquitos[3] |
| Diagnostic method | Microscopic examination of blood[4] |
| Prevention | Bed nets, mass deworming[2] |
| Medication | Albendazole with ivermectin or diethylcarbamazine[2] |
| Frequency | 38.5 million (2015)[5] |
Lymphatic filariasis is a human disease caused by parasitic worms known as filarial worms.[2][3] Most cases of the disease have no symptoms.[2] Some people, however, develop a syndrome called elephantiasis, which is marked by severe swelling in the arms, legs, breasts, or genitals.[2][6] The skin may become thicker as well, and the condition may become painful.[2] The changes to the body have the potential to harm the person's social and economic situation.[2]
The worms are spread by the bites of infected mosquitoes.[2] Three types of worms are known to cause the disease: Wuchereria bancrofti, Brugia malayi, and Brugia timori, with Wuchereria bancrofti being the most common.[2] These worms damage the lymphatic system.[2] The disease is diagnosed by microscopic examination of blood collected during the night.[4] The blood is typically examined as a smear after being stained with Giemsa stain.[4] Testing the blood for antibodies against the disease may also permit diagnosis.[4] Other roundworms from the same family are responsible for river blindness.[7]
Prevention can be achieved by treating entire groups in which the disease exists, known as mass deworming.[2] This is done every year for about six years, in an effort to rid a population of the disease entirely.[2] Medications used include antiparasitics such as albendazole with ivermectin, or albendazole with diethylcarbamazine.[2] The medications do not kill the adult worms but prevent further spread of the disease until the worms die on their own.[2] Efforts to prevent mosquito bites are also recommended, including reducing the number of mosquitoes and promoting the use of bed nets.[2]
In 2015 about 38.5 million people were infected.[5] About 950 million people are at risk of the disease in 54 countries.[2] It is most common in tropical Africa and Asia.[2] The condition has been described throughout ancient history.[8] Lymphatic filariasis is classified as a neglected tropical disease and one of the four main worm infections.[7] The impact of the disease results in economic losses of billions of dollars a year.[2]
References[edit]
- ^ a b James, William D.; Berger, Timothy; Elston, Dirk (2015). Andrews' Diseases of the Skin: Clinical Dermatology. Elsevier Health Sciences. p. 432. ISBN 9780323319690. Archived from the original on 2016-10-12.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|name-list-format=ignored (|name-list-style=suggested) (help) - ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s "Lymphatic filariasis Fact sheet N°102". World Health Organization. March 2014. Archived from the original on 25 March 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2014.
- ^ a b "Lymphatic filariasis". World Health Organization. Archived from the original on 5 May 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
- ^ a b c d "Parasites - Lymphatic Filariasis Diagnosis". CDC. June 14, 2013. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
- ^ a b GBD 2015 Disease and Injury Incidence and Prevalence Collaborators (October 2016). "Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 310 diseases and injuries, 1990–2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015". Lancet. 388 (10053): 1545–1602. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(16)31678-6. PMC 5055577. PMID 27733282.
{{cite journal}}:|author=has generic name (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "CDC - Lymphatic Filariasis". www.cdc.gov. Archived from the original on 11 May 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
- ^ a b "Working to overcome the global impact of neglected tropical diseases – Summary" (PDF). Relevé Épidémiologique Hebdomadaire. 86 (13): 113–20. March 2011. PMID 21438440. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2016.
- ^ Tyring, Steven K.; Lupi, Omar; Hengge, Ulrich R. (2016). Tropical Dermatology E-Book. Elsevier Health Sciences. p. 57. ISBN 978-0-323-33914-8.