Lymphatic Filariasis: Symptoms & Treatment Options

Lymphatic Filariasis

You might have spotted people on the road with unusually shaped and sized legs. Such disfiguring of the legs occurs due to an infectious disease called lymphatic filariasis. Also known by the name of Elephantiasis, Filaria disease is a tropical ailment caused by a parasitic infection from mosquito bites. Certain mosquitoes function as hosts for the filarial nematodes or roundworms, coming in three different types: Wuchereria bancrofti, Brugia malayi, and Brugia timori.

According to statistics, 90% of filarial disease cases worldwide are caused by the Wuchereria bancrofti worm. The remaining cases of lymphatic filariasis are caused by the other two worm types. When the mosquitoes carrying these nematodes bite a person, the individual may get infected with lymphatic filaria disease. Read on to learn about lymphatic filariasis symptoms, filariasis treatment, and more in detail.

You might have spotted people on the road with unusually shaped and sized legs. Such disfiguring of the legs occurs due to an infectious disease called lymphatic filariasis. Also known by the name of Elephantiasis, Filaria disease is a tropical ailment caused by a parasitic infection from mosquito bites. Certain mosquitoes function as hosts for the filarial nematodes or roundworms, coming in three different types: Wuchereria bancrofti, Brugia malayi, and Brugia timori.

According to statistics, 90% of filarial disease cases worldwide are caused by the Wuchereria bancrofti worm. The remaining cases of lymphatic filariasis are caused by the other two worm types. When the mosquitoes carrying these nematodes bite a person, the individual may get infected with lymphatic filaria disease. Read on to learn about lymphatic filariasis symptoms, filariasis treatment, and more in detail.

Symptoms and Progression

An infection of the lymphatic system caused by the filarial parasites can result in the following filarial disease symptoms:

• Lymphoedema (fluid retention in lymph capillaries)

• Thickening of tissues in the body

• Inflammation throughout the body

• Swelling, enlargement & disfiguring of body parts

• Hydrocele or scrotal swelling (in males)

• Breast swelling (in females)

• Swelling of genitals (in females)

• Pain and discomfort

• Fever and chills

• Headaches

While some patients infected with the parasite show the above-mentioned filarial disease symptoms, others may be asymptomatic and show no symptoms at all. However, these asymptomatic individuals often complain of drastic weight loss and fatigue.

Mosquitoes biting someone infected with the parasite get infected in the first place. The microfilariae soon turn into an infective larva within the body of the mosquito. Mature filariasis parasite larvae get deposited on the skin of an individual bitten by an infected mosquito. From the skin, the larvae enter the body and gradually migrate to the person’s lymphatic vessels, where they nest and grow into adult worms. The lifespan of these adult worms is about 7 to 8 years. During their lifespan, these adult parasites reproduce, releasing millions of filarial worms into the bloodstream of the infected person.

The filaria disease thus progresses, bringing forth total lymphatic damage and dysfunction. With the progression of the disease, the condition of lymphoedema gives way to an advanced stage called Elephantiasis, manifested through the enlargement of body parts and thickening of tissues.