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Filariasis
Filariasis is a parasitic disease caused by an infection with roundworms of the Filarioidea type. These are spread by blood-feeding insects such as black flies and mosquitoes. They belong to the group of diseases called helminthiases. These parasites exist in the wild in subtropical parts of southern Asia, Africa, the South Pacific, and parts of South America. One does not acquire them in temperate areas like Europe or the United States. Eight known filarial worms have humans as a definitive host. These are divided into three groups according to the part of the body they affect: * Lymphatic filariasis is caused by the worms ''Wuchereria bancrofti'', ''Brugia malayi'', and ''Brugia timori''. These worms occupy the lymphatic system, including the lymph nodes; in chronic cases, these worms lead to the syndrome of ''elephantiasis''. * Subcutaneous filariasis is caused by '' Loa loa'' (the eye worm), '' Mansonella streptocerca'', and ''Onchocerca volvulus''. These worms occupy th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lymphatic Filariasis
Lymphatic filariasis is a human disease caused by parasitic worms known as filarial worms. Usually acquired in childhood, it is a leading cause of permanent disability worldwide. While most cases have no symptoms, some people develop a syndrome called elephantiasis, which is marked by severe swelling in the arms, legs, breasts, or genitals. The skin may become thicker as well, and the condition may become painful. Affected people are often unable to work and are often shunned or rejected by others because of their disfigurement and disability. It is the first of the mosquito-borne diseases to be have been identified. The worms are spread by the bites of infected mosquitoes. Three types of worms are known to cause the disease: '' Wuchereria bancrofti'', '' Brugia malayi'', and '' Brugia timori'', with ''Wuchereria bancrofti'' being the most common. These worms damage the lymphatic system. The disease is diagnosed by microscopic examination of blood collected during the nigh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brugia Malayi
''Brugia malayi'' is a filarial (arthropod-borne) nematode (roundworm), one of the three causative agents of lymphatic filariasis in humans. Lymphatic filariasis, also known as elephantiasis, is a condition characterized by swelling of the lower limbs. The two other filarial causes of lymphatic filariasis are ''Wuchereria bancrofti'' and '' Brugia timori'', which both differ from ''B. malayi'' morphologically, symptomatically, and in geographical extent. ''B. malayi'' is transmitted by '' Mansonia'' mosquitoes and is restricted to South and Southeast Asia. It is one of the tropical diseases targeted for elimination by the year 2020 by the World Health Organization, which has spurred vaccine and drug development, as well as new methods of vector control. Signs and symptoms ''B. malayi'' is one of the causative agents of lymphatic filariasis, a condition marked by infection and swelling of the lymphatic system. The disease is primarily caused by the presence of worms in the lympha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mansonella Perstans
''Mansonella perstans'' is a filarial (arthropod-borne) nematode (roundworm), transmitted by tiny blood-sucking flies called midges. ''Mansonella perstans'' is one of two filarial nematodes that causes serous cavity filariasis in humans. The other filarial nematode is ''Mansonella ozzardi''. ''M. perstans'' is widespread in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, parts of Central and South America, and the Caribbean. Compared to infections with other filarial parasites such as ''Wuchereria bancrofti'', ''Brugia malayi'', and '' Loa loa'', ''Mansonella'' infections are relatively mild. However, the pathogenicity of ''M. perstans'' infection has been recently reconsidered in various studies. These studies have demonstrated that ''M. perstans'' has the ability to induce a variety of clinical features, including angioedema Calabar-like swellings, pruritus, fever, headache, eosinophilia, and abdominal pain. The overall disability among populations in regions where filariae are endem ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wuchereria Bancrofti
''Wuchereria bancrofti'' is a filarial (arthropod-borne) nematode (roundworm) that is the major cause of lymphatic filariasis. It is one of the three parasitic worms, together with ''Brugia malayi'' and '' B. timori'', that infect the lymphatic system to cause lymphatic filariasis. These filarial worms are spread by a variety of mosquito vector species. ''W. bancrofti'' is the most prevalent of the three and affects over 120 million people, primarily in Central Africa and the Nile delta, South and Central America, the tropical regions of Asia including southern China, and the Pacific islands. If left untreated, the infection can develop into lymphatic filariasis. In rare conditions, it also causes tropical pulmonary eosinophilia. No vaccine is commercially available, but high rates of cure have been achieved with various antifilarial regimens and lymphatic filariasis is the target of the World Health Organization Global Program to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis with the aim t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Loa Loa
''Loa loa'' is a filarial (arthropod-borne) nematode (roundworm) that causes ''Loa loa'' filariasis. ''Loa loa'' actually means "worm worm", but is commonly known as the "eye worm", as it localizes to the conjunctiva of the eye. ''Loa loa'' is commonly found in Africa.Schmidt, Gerald et al. "Foundations of Parasitology". 7th ed. McGraw Hill, New York, NY, 2005. It mainly inhabits rain forests in West Africa and has native origins in Ethiopia. The disease caused by ''Loa loa'' is called loiasis and is one of the neglected tropical diseases. ''L. loa'' is one of three parasitic filarial nematodes that cause subcutaneous filariasis in humans. The other two are '' Mansonella streptocerca and Onchocerca volvulus'' (causes river blindness). Maturing larvae and adults of the "eye worm" occupy the subcutaneous layer of the skin – the fat layer – of humans, causing disease. The ''L. loa'' adult worm which travels under the skin can survive up to 10–15 years, causing inflamma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brugia Timori
''Brugia timori'' is a filarial (arthropod-borne) nematode (roundworm) which causes the disease "Timor filariasis", or "Timorian filariasis". While this disease was first described in 1965, the identity of ''Brugia timori'' as the causative agent was not known until 1977. In that same year, '' Anopheles barbirostris'' was shown to be its primary vector. There is no known animal reservoir host. Signs and symptoms Like other human filariasis infections, ''Brugia timori'' filariasis causes acute fever and chronic lymphedema. The life cycle of ''Brugia timori'' is very similar to that of ''Wuchereria bancrofti'' and ''Brugia malayi'', leading to nocturnal periodicity of the disease symptoms. Eosinophilia is common during acute stages of infection. So far ''Brugia timori'' has only been found in the Lesser Sunda Islands of Indonesia. It is locally confined to areas inhabited by its mosquito vector, which breeds in rice fields. One study of the prevalence of infection in Mainang ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Loa Loa Filariasis
''Loa loa'' filariasis is a skin and eye disease caused by the nematode worm ''Loa loa''. Humans contract this disease through the bite of a deer fly or mango fly (''Chrysops'' spp.), the vectors for ''Loa loa''. The adult ''Loa loa'' filarial worm migrates throughout the subcutaneous tissues of humans, occasionally crossing into subconjunctival tissues of the eye where it can be easily observed. ''Loa loa'' does not normally affect one's vision but can be painful when moving about the eyeball or across the bridge of the nose.John, David T. and William A. Petri, Jr. Markell and Voge's Medical Parasitology. 9th ed. 2006. The disease can cause red itchy swellings below the skin called "Calabar swellings". The disease is treated with the drug diethylcarbamazine (DEC), and when appropriate, surgical methods may be employed to remove adult worms from the conjunctiva. Loiasis belongs to the so-called neglected diseases. Signs and symptoms A filariasis such as loiasis most often co ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dirofilaria Immitis
''Dirofilaria immitis'', also known as heartworm or dog heartworm, is a parasitic roundworm that is a type of filarial worm, a small thread-like worm, that causes dirofilariasis. It is spread from host to host through the bites of mosquitoes. There are four genera of mosquitoes that transmit dirofilariasis, '' Aedes'', '' Culex'', ''Anopheles'', and '' Mansonia''. The definitive host is the dog, but it can also infect cats, wolves, coyotes, jackals, foxes, ferrets, bears, seals, sea lions and, under rare circumstances, humans. Adult heartworms often reside in the pulmonary arterial system (lung arteries) as well as the heart, and a major health effect in the infected animal host is a manifestation of damage to its lung vessels and tissues. In cases involving advanced worm infestation, adult heartworms may migrate to the right heart and the pulmonary artery. Heartworm infection may result in serious complications for the infected host if left untreated, eventually leading to de ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Onchocerciasis
Onchocerciasis, also known as river blindness, is a disease caused by infection with the parasitic worm ''Onchocerca volvulus''. Symptoms include severe itching, bumps under the skin, and blindness. It is the second-most common cause of blindness due to infection, after trachoma. The parasite worm is spread by the bites of a black fly of the ''Simulium'' type. Usually, many bites are required before infection occurs. These flies live near rivers, hence the common name of the disease. Once inside a person, the worms create larvae that make their way out to the skin, where they can infect the next black fly that bites the person. There are a number of ways to make the diagnosis, including: placing a biopsy of the skin in normal saline and watching for the larva to come out; looking in the eye for larvae; and looking within the bumps under the skin for adult worms. A vaccine against the disease does not exist. Prevention is by avoiding being bitten by flies. This may include t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Filarioidea
The Filarioidea are a superfamily of highly specialised parasitic nematodes. Species within this superfamily are known as filarial worms or filariae (singular filaria). Infections with parasitic filarial worms cause disease conditions generically known as filariasis. Drugs against these worms are known as filaricides. Introduction Filarioidea all are specialised parasites and the definitive host is always a vertebrate, a mammal, bird, reptile or amphibian, but ''not'' a fish. The intermediate host is always an arthropod. Most of Filarioidea parasitise wild species, birds in particular, but some, especially in the family Onchocercidae, attack mammals, including humans and some domestic animals. Conditions that result from parasitism by Onchocercidae include some of the most troublesome diseases of the warmer regions, including river blindness and elephantiasis. Taxonomy The Filarioidea include several families: * Aproctidae *Creagrocercidae * Drilonematidae * Filariidae * ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Helminthiases
Helminthiasis, also known as worm infection, is any macroparasitic disease of humans and other animals in which a part of the body is infected with parasitic worms, known as helminths. There are numerous species of these parasites, which are broadly classified into tapeworms, flukes, and roundworms. They often live in the gastrointestinal tract of their hosts, but they may also burrow into other organs, where they induce physiological damage. Soil-transmitted helminthiasis and schistosomiasis are the most important helminthiases, and are among the neglected tropical diseases. These group of helminthiases have been targeted under the joint action of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies and non-governmental organizations through a project launched in 2012 called the London Declaration on Neglected Tropical Diseases, which aims to control or eradicate certain neglected tropical diseases by 2020. Helminthiasis has been found to result in poor birth outcome, poor cogniti ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Elephantiasis
Elephantiasis is the enlargement and hardening of limbs or body parts due to tissue swelling. It is characterised by edema, hypertrophy, and fibrosis of skin and subcutaneous tissues, due to obstruction of lymphatic vessels. It may affect the genitalia. The term elephantiasis is often used in reference to (symptoms caused by) parasitic worm infections, but may refer to a variety of diseases where parts of a person's body swell to massive proportions. __TOC__ Cause Some conditions that present with elephantiasis include: * Elephantiasis nostras, due to longstanding chronic lymphangitis * Elephantiasis tropica (known as lymphatic filariasis), caused by a number of parasitic worms, particularly ''Wuchereria bancrofti''. More than 120 million people, mostly in Africa and Southeast Asia, are affected. * Nonfilarial elephantiasis (or podoconiosis), an immune disease affecting the lymph vessels * Leishmaniasis * Elephantiasis, Grade 3 lymphedema which may occur in people with breast cancer ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
