Filariasis Detailed Information

Filariasis also known as, Lymphatic Filariasis (Philariasis). Filariasis (Philariasis) is a parasitic and infectious tropical disease. Filariasis affects more than 90 million people worldwide and is found throughout the tropics and subtropics. One-third of the people infected with the disease live in India, one third are in Africa and most of the remainder are in South Asia, the Pacific and the Americas. Loa loa is another filarial parasite of humans, transmitted by the deer fly.

Symptoms of filariasis depending on what type of parasitic worm has caused the infection. Filariasis is characterized by fever, chills, headache, and skin lesions in the beginning stages. Areas of pus (abscesses) may seem as a cause of dying worms or a lesser bacterial infection. It can progress to include gross enlargement of the limbs and genitalia in a condition called elephantiasis. The psychological and social stigma associated with these aspects of the disease is immense. In addition, even more common than the overt abnormalities is hidden, internal damage to the kidneys and lymphatic system caused by the filariae.

Short-term travelers to endemic areas are at low risk for this infection. Travelers who visit endemic areas for unbended periods of time and who are completely exposed to infected mosquitoes can become infected. Medicines to treat filariasis are most effective when used soon after infection. Ivermectin, albendazole, or diethylcarbamazine is used to treat a filariasis infection by eliminating the larvae, impairing the adult worms' ability to reproduce, and by actually killing adult worms. Treatment with diethylcarbamazine in someone with very high levels of parasite infection may lead to a fatal inflammation of the brain (encephalitis).

The best way of preventing filariasis is to prevent being repeatedly bitten by the mosquitoes that carry the disease. Avoiding mosquito bites is other type of prevention. The mosquitoes that bear the microscopic worms commonly bite between the hours of dusk and dawn. Sleep under a mosquito net. You can also use mosquito repellant on exposed skin between dusk and dawn. Take a yearly dose of medicine that removes the worms flowing in the blood. The medicine will kill all of the microscopic worms in the blood and only a fraction of the adult worms.