Filarial infection : Elephantiasis Causes, Symptoms, Treatment

Filarial infection:-

Filariasis is the infectious, tropical disease caused by the parasites, such as wuchereria bancrofti, brugia malayi etc.

Filarial infection is transmitted by mosquitoes.

Nearly 120 million peoples are infected in Asia, Africa, central and south America all together.

Filariasis endemic in tropical countries.

Symptoms of Filarial infection:-

Elephantiasis :- Thickening of skin, and mucus membrane under the skin.
Elephantiasis is caused when filarial worms take host in lymphatic system.

Lower extremities are mainly affected with lymphatic elephantiasis.

Legs, arms, are affected from some filarial worms and other filarial worms causes blindness as migration of worm occurs through cornea.

Diagnosis of filarial infection:-

Blood test is done to identify microfilariae. Usually the blood is collected during night, as microfilariae circulate during night because of mosquito
bite during night.

Treatment of filarial infection:-

Pharmacological treatment is given to treat lymphatic filarial infection.

Doxycycline is the drug used to treat Filaria.

The drugs given to treat Filariasis have some toxic effects.

People with filarial infection may experience fever with chills once in year or twice.

Albendazole is used to kill filarial worm.

Prevention of Filarial infection:-

Prevent mosquito bites by using mosquito nets and maintaining sanitary environment. ..