Elephantiasis is a tropical disease caused by parasitic worms that are spread through mosquito bites. The skin gets thick and hard, resembling an elephant’s skin.
Filariasis is a parasitic disease caused by a roundworm of the family Filarioidea. The filarial worms are transmitted and spread by blood-feeding black flies and mosquitoes. Upon entering the body, the larvae of the worm accumulate in an organ of the body and multiply where they cause chronic inflammation of that organ. Depending upon the infecting parasite, there are two different kinds of filariasis that affect different parts of the body.
Basically there are two common types of elephantiasis diseases
This is caused by the Wuchereria bancrofti worms, Brugia malayi and Brugia timori. These worms affect the lymphatic system, especially the lymph nodes. Chronic cases of lymphatic filariasis lead to the disease Elephantiasis.
This is also caused by the Loa loa worm which burrows itself in the subcutaneous fat layer right under the skin. These worms are responsible for river blindness
Usually, to get elephantiasis, you would have to be bitten by a lot of mosquitoes over a long time, in a country where certain types of roundworms are known to exist. It starts when mosquitoes infected with the roundworm larvae bite you. The tiny larvae survive in your bloodstream and grow.
Elephantiasis also called Lymphatic filariasis, commonly known as elephantiasis, is a painful and profoundly disfiguring disease. It is caused by infection with parasites classified as nematodes (roundworms) of the family Filariodidea that are transmitted through the bites of infected mosquitos.
This is a very deadly disease that keeps you crawling in pain and restless through out life time,
It takes 7-21 days for the microfilariae to develop inside the body of the mosquito.
But in human, You may not know you have elephantiasis until you notice the swelling. Not only will those body parts begin to look bulky and lumpy with stiff, … before you get to know you have been infected with elephantiasis.
The major vector of elephantiasis is Culex mosquito but Anopheles and Aedes mosquitos are also known to transmit elephantiasis. The causative agent of Elephantiasis is digenetic nematodes (roundworms) of the family Filariodidea. About 90% of Filariasis is caused by thread-like filarial worm Wuchereria bancrofti.
The initial symptom of lymphatic dysfunction is a mild edema, which can gradually progress to elephantiasis if not treated. 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
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 major 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
Elephantiasis does not only affect arms, legs only, it can also affect most part of the body, E.g Private part, mouth and face
At first, most people usually do not feel any symptoms until after the adult worms die. The disease usually is not life threatening, but it can permanently damage the lymph system and kidneys. Because the lymph system does not work right, fluid collects and causes swelling in the arms, breasts and legs. The name for this swelling is lymphoedema. For men, the genital area also becomes swollen, a condition known as hydrocele. Also, the swelling and the decreased function of the lymph system make it difficult for the body to fight germs and infections. These people will have more bacterial infections in the skin and lymph system. This causes hardening and thickening of the skin, which is called elephantiasis.
This disease can only be causes by mosquito
A wide range of mosquitoes can transmit the parasite, depending on the geographic area. In Africa, the most common vector is Anopheles and in the Americas, it is Culex quinquefasciatus. Aedes and Mansonia can transmit the infection in the Pacific and in Asia.
People with elephantiasis will have impaired immune function because of damage to their lymph system. They tend to get more bacterial infections of the skin, causing it to become dry, thick, and ulcerated with repeated infections. Other symptoms during these repeated bacterial infections include a fever and chills
Infection is usually acquired in childhood causing hidden damage to the lymphatic system. 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.
The major effect 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 and also the private part like SCROTA. An entire arm or leg may swell to several times its normal size resembling the thick, round appearance of an elephant’s leg
Elephantiasis is a disfiguring diseases, Sometimes it’s hard to move the affected body parts, which means it could be difficult to work. It might even be hard to get around in your home. You might also worry about how your condition looks to other people
Elephantiasis is most often caused by filariasis, a tropical disease. Non-filarial elephantiasis can be the result of a chronic erysipelas infection which can lead to sepsis, multiple organ failure and death if not treated in time
While lymphatic filariasis rarely causes death, it weakens the immune system, meaning that patients are also susceptible to other diseases.
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
People with Elephantiasis diseases experience acute filarial attacks. Filarial attacks involve a fever, and swelling and peeling skin on the affected areas of the body. The causes of the attacks are believed to include microbial contamination and immune reactions to the presence of the live or dead adult worms. he mainT visible sign of the illness is disfiguring swelling, followed by peeling of the affected area. In women this swelling, called lymphedema or elephantiasis, mainly affects arms and legs. In men it can also cause enlargement of the scrotum, referred to as hydrocele.