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- The disease is spread from person to person

- Mosquitoes which bite an infected person and carry the microfilariae from the infected blood

- The microfilariae will be absorbed into the mosquito’s body and migrate towards the thoracic muscles

- After two weeks the parasite mature into infective larvae and start to migrate towards the mosquito’s head and proboscis

- Ready to be transmitted to another human when the mosquito bites again

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• It is cause by parasitic infection from Nematode (roundworm) of family Filarioidea
• There are 3 types of nematode that can cause this disease which are:
- Wuchereria bancrofti (most common)
- Brugia malayi
- Brugia timori

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• It is a parasitic disease caused by microscopic, thread-like worms known as filarial parasite causing damage to lymphatic system

• This disease also known as elephantiasis

• It is one of  neglected tropical disease (NTD)
- NTD is a group of communicable disease that common in tropical and subtropical country, especially at lower income region of the world

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Hye guys! Before we begin to the next subtopic, here is a short video regarding a patient's story of Lymphatic Filariasis. Enjoy! =D

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Hye guys! Before we begin to the next subtopic, here is a short video regarding a patient's story of Lymphatic Filariasis. Enjoy! =D

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Do you know what are the signs and symptoms of Lymphatic Filariasis?

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Do you know what are the signs and symptoms of Lymphatic Filariasis?

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Filariasis infection involves asymptomatic, acute and chronic conditions
ASYMPTOMATIC

The majority of infections are symptomatic whereby showing no external signs of infection although their blood is positive for microfilaria

The stage may last for months

ACUTE

Acute episodes of local inflammation involving skin, lymph nodes and lymphatic vessels due to immune response to parasite

The patients will experience fever, testicular or inguinal pain

These signs and symptoms may last for weeks

CHRONIC

Chronic condition shows edema with thickening of skin and underlying tissues

It usually affects the lower extremities and it is called as elephantiasis of limbs

However, the arms, vulva, breast and scrotum can also be affected

the limbs and genital swelling occur due to repeated episodes of inflammation and lymphoedema

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Based on World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 120 M people in tropical and subtropical areas of the world are infected with Lymphatic Filariasis.

From 120 M, almost 25 M men have genital disease, commonly hydrocele

Then, almost 15 M of people, mostly women have lymphoedema or elephantiasis of the leg

For the past 13 years, more than 96.71 M cases of filariasis were prevented or cured due to impact of Mass Drug Administration (MDA).

For instances, India has done filarial control program by doing MDA over the past several years

The program provides diethylcarbamazine (DEC) as well as albendazole (ABZ) as a treatment for Indians who are living at risk of infection

However, about 36 M cases of hydrocele and lymphoedema still remain.

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Lymphatic Filariasis | Medicine Lectures | Medical Student | V-Learning | sqadia.com

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LET'S US FIND OUT HOW TO TREAT FILARIASIS!

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LET'S US FIND OUT HOW TO TREAT FILARIASIS!

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Hello guys! As we had learned about the filariasis, now, let us identify what we can do to treat and reduce the pain of filariasis.

BEFORE THAT, we all need to know that the main goals to treat based on CDC is to eliminate microfilariae from blood of infected individuals in order to interrupt transmission of infections by mosquitoes.

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HEY GUYS! to make it easier for you to understand and to briefly know what is FILARIASIS, do watch this video!

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1) Skin treatment

Wash affected area twice daily

Put on antibacterial cream

2) Complex Decongestive Physiotherapy

Lymph drainage

Massage

Compressive bandage

3) SURGERY

Correction of lymphatic defect

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HAVE YOU GUYS EVER WONDERED, HOW CAN WE PREVENT FILARIASIS FROM OCCURRING?

Now, let's us get to know how to prevent it. As word says "PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE". We can sure getting a treatment but it would not be the same as we used to be. Hence, we need to always take care of our health and prevent from any disease.

As we all aware and it had been stated in the previous post, the vector of Filariasis  is mosquitoes. So, first and foremost, we need to prevent from getting mosquito bites.

1) Use insect repellents
2) Use mosquito net while sleeping
3) Wear long sleeves t - shirt and long trousers
4) Avoid black attire

Then, we need to ensure to prevent the mosquito from breeding which make it increase in number.

1) Eliminate all the high possibility of mosquito breeding areas. Everyone in the household should take about 10 minutes a day to clean up the surrounding area and make sure that all the possible places are eliminated!
2) Ensure efficient drainage and sewage.

HANG IN TIGHT EVERYONE! WE ARE ALMOST DONE. Last but not least, we need to avoid any endemic areas. Besides, the government should be aware and had the endemic are under surveillance.

GOOD JOB EVERYONE! You make it till the end!

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1) Diethylcarbamazine (DEC)

Bancroflian Filariasis – 6mg/kg/day for 12 days

Brugian Filariasis - 6mg/kg/day for 6 days

An antiparasitic drugs against filarial worms

Usually it kills the microfilariae and some of the adult worms

Side effects are dizziness, nausea, fever, headache, or pain in muscles or joints.

Not suitable for onchocerciasis and loiasis

2) Ivermectin

200 – 300 ug/kg

Single dose repeated after two months for 4 years

Suitable for onchoceriasis

3) Albendazole

Prevents newly hatched insect larvae (worms) from growing or multiplying in the body

4) Doxycycline

200mg/day for 4–6 weeks

Kill adult worms

5) Arsenical drugs

Preparation against adult worm

6) Neostibosan

chemotherapy drugs of filariasis

SIDE NOTE!
Hi guys! Some information that you also need to know. every drugs had it own side effects if it is consumed for a long time. And the side effects of antiparasitic drugs are headache, fever, myalgia, lymphadenopathy, rash or itching (allergic reactions).

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Lymphatic filariasis- Parasite, diagnosis and treatment

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purpose: to detect filarial DNA in patient blood

sample: peripheral blood

result: positive if microfilariae is found, negative in chronic filariasis

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1) ELISA using monoclonal

purpose: to detect antigen in the serum

only useful in recent infection

2) ICT filariasis card test

purpose: to detect antigen in patient serum

sample: blood collected during day time

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1) Eosinophilia

2) Serological tests

ELISA, IFA, IHA

purpose: to detect antibodies of larval antigen

useful when microfilariae or antigen cannot be detected

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1) Lymph nodes biopsy

result: adult worms can be seen on X-ray examination when they are calcified

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Parasitic worm larvae are transmitted to human when an infected female mosquito feeds on human blood.

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-Worm larvae are transmitted to human when an infected female mosquito feeds on human blood
-Larvae emerge from the mosquito’s mouth parts onto the person’s skin.
-It penetrate the skin through the bite wound.
- 9 to 14 days: larvae migrate to the lymphatic system and transform into elongated form.
- 6 to 12 months: larvae grow into mature male and female adult worms.
-Mate in the lymphatic vessels and female worms will release MICROFILARIAE.
-MICROFILARIAE will then migrate from the lymphatic system and enter the bloodstream.

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-The ingested MICROFILARIAE make their way into the mosquito’s stomach before they migrate into the flight muscles
- Infection (Day 6 to 10), they develop into ‘sausage’ larval stage.
-Infection (Day 11 to 13), the larvae develop into infectious forms.
-Infectious forms then migrate to the mosquito’s mouth parts.
-They are transferred to another human when the mosquito bites

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1) Blood smear

sample: peripheral blood taken at night (10PM-2AM)

result: can see microfilariae at thick blood smear

2) Acridine orange microhematocrit tube technique

the tube contains heparin, EDTA and acridine orange

result: DNA of parasite is stained by acridine orange. Morphological characteristics can be examined by fluorescent microscopy

3) Diethyl Carbamazine (DEC) provocation test

purpose: to induce microfilariae to appear during the day

DEC is given in single dose (2mg/kg of body weight)

result: microfilariae can be seen after 15-20 mins of DEC intake

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Life cycle: Mosquito stage - - Human Stages

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Life cycle: Mosquito stage - - Human Stages

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Lymphatic Filariasis (Elephantiasis) - Life Cycle

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Infective stage - Larvae
Diagnostic stage - Microfilariae