Wuchereria bancrofti
Wuchereria bancrofti, a parasitic filarial worm, affects over 120 million people, and is easily spread by mosquitoes and other blood sucking insects. It is common to Africa, South America, and other tropical and sub tropical countries. Elephantiasis can result if the parasite is left untreated; several drugs exist for treatment, but they are scarcely available in most afflicted nations.Filarial worms are nematodes characterized by the production of microfilariae, and the existence of two hosts in their life cycle. Wuchereria bancrofti begins its life as a microfilariae where it migrates to the skin's surface and peripheral blood system. Next, the worm is transferred into a vector; the most common vectors are the mosquito species: Culex, Anopheles, Aedes, and Mansonia. Inside their second host, it matures into motile larvae. When its current host feeds, and it is egested into the blood stream of its new human host. The larvae moves to the Lymph nodes, predominantly in the legs and genital area, and develops into adult worm over the course of a year. By this time, an adult female can produce microfilariae itself.
This specific filarial worm, Wuchereria bancrofti, displays a large size gap between the male and female. The adult male worm is long and slender, between four and five centimeters in length, a tenth of a centimeter in diameter, and features a curved tail. The female, in contrast, is six to ten centimeters long, and three times larger in diameter than the male. This size deviation can be attributed to the vast numbers of microfilariae that the female produces each day.
The onset of symptoms is slow, but the effects are very apparent after several years. During the initial inflammatory stage, a host can exhibit swelling, granulation lesions, and impaired circulation. Following, the lymph nodes are enlarged and dilated. They become hardened and clogged with fibrous tissue, and this prevents the lymphatic system from operating correctly. The microfilariae also cause swelling, thickening, and discolouration of the skin. Without the proper drainage of fluids, the affected tissue will expand and Elephantiasis, a gross expansion of body, will result, and death can follow.
The parasite's severe symptoms can be avoid by the use of therapeutic drugs. Both Diethylcarbamazine and Sodium caparsolate are used to kill the worms and their microfilariae. Diethylcarbamazine is most commonly used and is administered orally. Protection is similar to that of other mosquito spread illnesses; one can use both physical and chemical barriers, a mosquito net and insect repellent, respectively.
Note: Joseph Cary Merrick, The "Elephant Man", was not afflicted by a parasitic worm, but by Proteus syndrome.
References
- Oetinger, David. "Filaria." The World Book Encyclopedia. Chicago: World Book Inc. 2000.
- "Elephantiasis." Human Diseases and Conditions. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. 2000.
- David F. Oetinger, "Filaria." World Book Online Reference Center. http://www.worldbookonline.com/ar?/na/ar/co/ar196440.htm, November 28, 2003.
- "Lymphatic filariasis." World Health Organization. http://www.who.int/ctd/filariasis/home/, November 28, 2003.
