Lymphatic filariasis

Lymphatic filariasis is a human disease caused by <a href="/facts/Helminth/V9wRobaA">parasitic worms</a> known as <a href="/facts/Filarioidea/n2Nb311e">filarial worms</a>. Usually acquired in childhood, it is a leading cause of permanent disability worldwide, impacting over a hundred million people and manifesting itself in a variety of severe clinical pathologies While most cases <a href="/facts/Asymptomatic/6ewHqlEU">have no symptoms</a>, some people develop a syndrome called <a href="/facts/Elephantiasis/ChDKLC2d">elephantiasis</a>, which is marked by severe <a href="/facts/Lymphedema/BLCUBCvY">swelling</a> in the arms, legs, <a href="/facts/Breast/UBvcKAjy">breasts</a>, or <a href="/facts/Genitals/c2ypY14E">genitals</a>. The skin may become thicker as well, and the condition may become painful. Affected people are often unable to work and are often shunned or rejected by others because of their disfigurement and disability.
It is the first of the <a href="/facts/Mosquito-borne_disease/UWFlERoJ">mosquito-borne diseases</a> to have been identified. The worms are spread by the bites of infected <a href="/facts/Mosquito/u8hTMTfc">mosquitoes</a>. Three types of worms are known to cause the disease: <a href="/facts/Wuchereria_bancrofti/lyjnk9Fr">Wuchereria bancrofti</a>, <a href="/facts/Brugia_malayi/RASHPboC">Brugia malayi</a>, and <a href="/facts/Brugia_timori/bSRh2pgL">Brugia timori</a>, with Wuchereria bancrofti being the most common. These worms damage the lymphatic system by nesting within the lymphatic vessels and disrupting the system's normal function. Worms can survive within the human body for up to 8 years, all while reproducing millions of larvae which circulate through the blood. The disease is diagnosed by <a href="/facts/Microscopy/GpHlElDS">microscopic examination</a> of blood collected during the night. The blood is typically examined as a <a href="/facts/Blood_film/ao2R0t11">smear</a> after being stained with <a href="/facts/Giemsa_stain/qkA81qvW">Giemsa stain</a>. <a href="/facts/Serology/wmNg447o">Testing the blood</a> for <a href="/facts/Antibody/MX8pdTdP">antibodies</a> against the disease may also permit diagnosis. Other <a href="/facts/Roundworms/yLMJ43Eu">roundworms</a> from the same family are responsible for <a href="/facts/River_blindness/ItVjR7BI">river blindness</a>.
Prevention can be achieved by treating entire groups affected by the disease, known as <a href="/facts/Mass_deworming/vsyXvrCP">mass deworming</a>. This is done every year for about six years, to rid a population of the disease entirely. <a href="/facts/Pharmaceutical_drug/h9mhwWP2">Medications</a> usually include a combination of two or more <a href="/facts/Anthelmintic/2p02KN0X">anthelmintic</a> agents: <a href="/facts/Albendazole/FzA8fAF0">albendazole</a>, <a href="/facts/Ivermectin/6H3H05nI">ivermectin</a>, and <a href="/facts/Diethylcarbamazine/mcSH7pbp">diethylcarbamazine</a>. Efforts to prevent mosquito bites are also recommended, including reducing the number of mosquitoes and promoting the use of <a href="/facts/Bed_net/xQXQtv9W">bed nets</a>.
As of 2022, about 40 million people were infected, and about 863 million people were at risk of the disease in 47 countries. It is most common in tropical Africa and Asia. Lymphatic filariasis is classified as a <a href="/facts/Neglected_tropical_diseases/FxkW4Anb">neglected tropical disease</a> and one of the four main <a href="/facts/Helminthiasis/pX5etdRm">worm infections</a>. The impact of the disease results in economic losses of billions of US dollars a year.

Lymphatic filariasis open-in-new

Lymphatic filariasis