FILARIASIS: CAUSES, HEALTH IMPLICATIONS AND TREATMENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page – – – – – – – – i
Certification – – – – – – – ii
Dedication – – – – – – – – iii
Acknowledgement – – – – – – iv
Table of Contents – – – – – – – v
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER TWO: OVERVIEW OF Filariasis
2.1 Life cycle of Wuchereria bancrofti, a parasite that causes Filariasis – – 4
2.2 Types of Filariasis – – – – – 5
2.2 Lymphatic Filariasis – – – – – 5
2.2.2 Occult Filariasis – – – – – – 6
2.2.3 Onchocerciasis – – – – – – 7
2.2.4 Loaiasis – – – – – – – 7
2.3 Sign and symptoms of Filariasis – – – 8
2.4. Causes of Filariasis – – – – – 9
2.5. Diagnosis of Filariasis – – – – – 10
2.6. Health Implications of Filariasis – – – – 12
CHAPTER THREE: TREATMENT/ MANAGEMENT
3.1. Medical Treatments – – – – – 14
3.2. Surgical Treatments – – – – – 15
3.3. Thermal Treatments – – – – – 16
3.4. Herbal Treatment – – – – – – 16
3.5 Morbidity Management – – – – – 17
3.6. Vector Control – – – – – – 18
CHAPTER FOUR: SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
4.1 Summary – – – – – – – 20
4.2 Conclusion – – – – – – – 20
References
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Filariasis is a parasitic infection caused by various species of roundworms, with the most common being Wuchereria bancrofti and Brugia malayi. These worms are transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. The infection can lead to symptoms such as swelling of the limbs, fever, and itching. Lymphatic filariasisis also referred to sometimes as “elephantiasis.” Elephantiasis is actually an extreme clinical feature of filariasis (Kabatereine et al., 2010). The painful and profoundly disfiguring visible manifestations of the disease, lymphoedema, elephantiasis and scrotal swelling occur later in life and can lead to permanent disability. These patients are not only physically disabled, but suffer mental, social and financial losses contributing to stigma and poverty. In 2018, 893 million people in 49 countries were living in areas that require preventive chemotherapy to stop the spread of infection. The global baseline estimate of people affected by lymphatic filariasis was 25 million men with hydrocele and over 15 million people with lymphoedema. At least 36 million people remain with these chronic disease manifestations. Eliminating lymphatic filariasis can prevent unnecessary suffering and contribute to the reduction of poverty. Filariae have a specific geographic distribution. For example, W. bancrofti is found in sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, India, and the Pacific Islands. B .malayi is found in similar locations but not in sub-Saharan Africa. B. timori occurs on Timor Island, in Indonesia. In endemic areas, the prevalence of microfilaremia increases with age, as adult worms are gradually acquired over years. Lymphatic filariasis is first contracted in childhood, and most individuals in endemic areas have been exposed by the third or fourth decade of life (Witt and Ottesen, 2001).
