Filariasis diseases infections ailments and endemic
African most incredible diseases other than malaria; filariasis.
This is actually one of the disease common in africa. A lot of people do think that mosquito only transmit malaria ( hell no),in a region / country where there is mosquito should not be taken slightly because mosquito is dangerous and also transmit some other diseases other than malaria( filariasis). You should not only treat malaria all the time ,you should do a routine check up all the time and stay away from mosquito.
How does this come to existence?.
I can say filariasis is a disease caused by worm which simply affect man, and which is transmitted by a mosquito.In a few Of the various cases that contracted filariasis,there is a condition that later developed which is so called elephantiasis. I know a few people would have hear about this ,maybe one way or the other and don't seems to know the danger this might caused. In a few Of the various cases that contracted filariasis, left it untreated. This may be a life threatening as this could caused so much disaster to the person having this disease,this include ; psychological,socially e.t.c.
A lot of individuals believe that elephantiasis is heredity but is not, this is the case. The worm exists in two forms, the adult and the microfilaria. Now let me go into a little anatomy according to research and observations, the adult male measures 2cm- 4 cm in length. The adult female measures 8 - 20cm in lenght. Also in thickness the male is one-tenth of a millimeter and the female three-tenths. The worm exist in the tropics all around the world.
The infection is spread by various different varieties of mosquitoes like: anopheles mosquito; aedes mosquitoes; culex mosquito e.t.c.
The mosquito becomes imfected by biting a man who is suffering from the disease and has the microfilaria present in the blood. In the mosquito the worm develops and grow to is full length. So when the mosquito bites an individual it deposits the worms( usually a pair at a time) on the surface of the skin an enters into the blood stream.
Having entered the blood stream the pair of filariae makes is way and go straight to a gland called lymph gland, usually in the area of the groin. In some months later up to five to eighteen months the worms mature and produce microfilaria disease.
These is a serious matter as this person that is infected can infect everyone in that area/ community, after this disease as been stuck in the body it can not be develops further until when it is carried again by the infected person by the mosquito. It develops in the mosquito again and transmit it to another person bitten by mosquito. In this way the vicious circle continues.
However, while in the blood stream the microfilaria are not able to undergo further development nor are they known to cause any trouble. In this case to destroy them immediately so that they may not be passed on to another person. A drug know as hetrazan is given for this purpose. According to research it is known that the adult worms that have given birth to the microfilaria live and continue to reproduce for a period of ten years. During this period of time and years they cause irritation in the lymph gland of the person caring the disease, and as a result the scar tissue is formed which later contract and block the flow of lymph through it. After the blocking of the lymph the leg becomes swollen and the characteristics enlarged limb forms, known as elephantiasis. Fortunately only few infected persons are afflicted with this complication.
How does mosquito transmit this disease from man to man?
The mosquito becomes imfected by biting a man who is suffering from the disease and has the microfilaria present in the blood. In the mosquito the worm develops and grow to is full length. So when the mosquito bites an individual it deposits the worms( usually a pair at a time) on the surface of the skin an enters into the blood stream.
Having entered the blood stream the pair of filariae makes is way and go straight to a gland called lymph gland, usually in the area of the groin. In some months later up to five to eighteen months the worms mature and produce microfilaria disease.
These is a serious matter as this person that is infected can infect everyone in that area/ community, after this disease as been stuck in the body it can not be develops further until when it is carried again by the infected person by the mosquito. It develops in the mosquito again and transmit it to another person bitten by mosquito. In this way the vicious circle continues.
However, while in the blood stream the microfilaria are not able to undergo further development nor are they known to cause any trouble. In this case to destroy them immediately so that they may not be passed on to another person. A drug know as hetrazan is given for this purpose. According to research it is known that the adult worms that have given birth to the microfilaria live and continue to reproduce for a period of ten years. During this period of time and years they cause irritation in the lymph gland of the person caring the disease, and as a result the scar tissue is formed which later contract and block the flow of lymph through it. After the blocking of the lymph the leg becomes swollen and the characteristics enlarged limb forms, known as elephantiasis. Fortunately only few infected persons are afflicted with this complication.
However, in recent time study have show that elephantiasis does not affect the limb only , it asso affect some other parts of the body too, this include; the legs, arms, and genitalia. It also increases the risk of frequent bacterial infections that harden and thicken the skin .
What are the treatment?
In recent time there is various methods and treatment, some are sold commercially and some are available on over the counter drugs, However, all this drugs are more effective against the adult worm. It is also given intravenous solution in a dosage of 1mg per kilogram of body weight. Hetrazan is given orally in doses of and is given 3 times daily or qds, up to 4 weeks.
Also the swelling limb of the patient may be reduced by applying bandage.
Prevention
The patient should be removed from the area where the infection is endemic, otherwise he may become infected.
Is elephantiasis heredity?
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