Filariasis

Filariasis – General Information

Filariasis is a condition which describes a number or tropical infectious diseases which are caused by the round worms or their larvae. If the disease is caused by the larvae of the worms, people get infected through a mosquito’s bite. The disease develops suddenly and is characterized by severe headaches, fever, skin lesions and chills. Of the disease is not treated in due time, it can result in a serious complication, called elephantiasis. Filariasis is more likely to affect the people who live in subtropical and tropical regions, such as South America, Asia, Africa or some islands in the Pacific. Even though this is not a severe disease and it can not result in sudden death, it is a dangerous disorder as it is extremely difficult to cure. Some specialists even consider it a potentially eradicable disorder. In most of the cases, people get infected through a bite; a mosquito gets the larvae when it bites an infected person and it can then transfer the larvae to a healthy person. After the larvae reach the body, it settles in a certain area and starts to develop in an adult worm. If we take into consideration the area which the larvae can settle in, Filariasis can be classified in three types: lymphatic type (when the larvae deteriorates the circulatory system and the immune cells), serous cavity type (when the body cavity is infected but the disease does not develop) and the subcutaneous type (when the larvae settle beneath the eye or the skin).

Filariasis – Symptoms

It takes about five to nine months for the larvae in the body to develop and turn into an adult; after this period of time, it can live inside the body for three to five years. If we take into consideration the fact that a female can make millions of larvae, then it is easy to understand why it is so easy to suffer from Filariasis. However, a single bite of a mosquito which carries the larvae is not sufficient to develop the disease. In order for this to happen, it takes a series of bites in a short period of time. The most common type of Filariasis which has been reported is the lymphatic form; in this case, when the larvae turn into an adult worm, this will actually live in the lymphatic vessels, which are located near the lymphatic nodes. The most common sign which appears is the inflammation of the lymphatic vessels; in more severe cases, the worm can even obstruct these vessels. If the inflammation is not treated in due time, it can result in serious problems, such as a blockage of the lymphatic system in the legs and the genital area. The affected area will become excessive enlarged and it will be characterized by coarse and thickened skin. In the case of the conjunctiva form of the disease, the adult worms are located beneath the eye and they can even be seen beneath the skin. If the disease is not treated rapidly, it can lead to complete blindness.

Filariasis - Treatment

If you consider that you may experience one of the types of Filariasis described above, you should visit a doctor as soon as possible. The doctor will probably inform about your medical history and he will also carry out a physical examination as well as a blood samples test. The blood test can give him information about the presence of a certain protein which is produced by the body as a response to this disease. However, if the disease is in an early stage it may be difficult to diagnose it as it looks a lot like other bacterial infection of the skin. If the possible sufferer visits a doctor between 11 pm and 3 am, the doctor can even found the larvae directly into the blood. This interval is established considering the fact that the mosquitoes are usually active during the night.

The most common way to treat Filariasis is the administration of drugs; the purpose of the treatment is to eliminate the larvae in the body, to diminish the ability of the adult worms to reproduce inside the body and to eliminate, as much as possible, the adult worms. Even if the treatment is successful and the worms are killed, the tissues will not recover. An important factor which must be taken into consideration is the fact that, at first, the drugs must be administrated in small doses in order to prevent a sudden infection or an adverse reaction caused by the large number of worms which are killed inside the body. However, the side effects usually develop in most of the cases; the most common side effect is the appearance of abscesses, but it can be controlled if the patient is administrated anti-inflammatory medicines and anti-histamines. In more severe cases, the treatment can lead to a sudden death of the patient, caused by an inflammation of the brain. The inflammation is characterized by excessive fever, muscle pain, headaches and eventually, coma.

If Filariasis is not treated properly and it develops into elephantiasis, the treatment has no effect and it can not reverse the process. A possible choice, however, can be the surgery which is administrated in order to remove the affected tissue and to allow a normal drainage of the blood in the damaged vessels.
If Filariasis is diagnosed in an early stage, it can be successfully treated, especially if the patient can take some measures in order to reduce the possibility of suffering from this disease again. However, those who are most likely to develop Filariasis should be informed about the preventive measures which they can introduce in their daily routine. In the first place, they should diminish the activities outside the house at night, when the mosquitoes are more active. Those who live in jungle and in the rural areas must wear long pants and dark clothes, as much as possible. When traveling in one of the areas which are known to present a high number of infections, a person should avoid perfumes and he should stay in an air-conditioned room.