How does elephantiasis look like?
The main symptom of elephantiasis is gross enlargement and swelling of an area of the body because of the accumulation of fluid. The arms and legs are the areas most often affected. An entire arm or leg may swell to several times its normal size resembling the thick, round appearance of an elephant’s leg.
What is Elephant titis?
Overview. Elephantiasis is also known as lymphatic filariasis. It’s caused by parasitic worms, and can spread from person to person through mosquitoes. Elephantiasis causes swelling of the scrotum, legs, or breasts. Elephantiasis is considered a neglected tropical disease (NTD).
Who has elephantiasis?
Elephantiasis, also known as lymphatic filariasis, is a very rare condition that’s spread by mosquitoes. The common name is often used because if you have it, your arms and legs can swell and become much bigger than they should be. Your sex organs and breasts may also swell up.
What is the drug of choice for elephantiasis?
In the United states, the drug of choice is diethylcarbamazine or DEC, which kills the microfilariae and also some adult worms. For areas outside of the United States, a combination of albendazole and ivermectin is generally used.
What is the medicine for filaria?
The main goal of treatment of an infected person is to kill the adult worm. Diethylcarbamazine citrate (DEC), which is both microfilaricidal and active against the adult worm, is the drug of choice for lymphatic filariasis.
Does elephantiasis have a cure?
Sadly, there is no absolute cure for elephantiasis. Also, no vaccines have been invented yet to prevent elephantiasis from occurring in the first place. Albeit, the good news is that a vaccine to treat elephantiasis may soon be introduced in the market.
What is the prognosis for elephantiasis?
Surgery can be performed to reduce elephantiasis by removing excess fatty and fibrous tissue, draining the swelled area, and removing the dead worms. With DEC treatment, the prognosis is good for early and mild cases of lymphatic filariasis. The prognosis is poor, however, for heavy parasitic infestations.
Is lymphedema and elephantiasis the same thing?
The terms elephantiasis and lymphatic filiarisis are often used interchangeably but lymphatic filiariasis refers to the infection of the lymphatics with the filarial worm whereas elephantiasis is the gross deformity caused by lymphedema, often as a result of this infection.
Which insect causes elephantiasis?
There are a few different causes of elephantiasis, but the agents responsible for most of the elephantiasis in the world are filarial worms: white, slender round worms found in most tropical and subtropical places. They are transmitted by particular kinds (species) of mosquitoes, that is, bloodsucking insects.