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Filariasis is a tropical disease caused by heartworms, with lymphatic filariasis being the most common type. It can cause permanent damage to the body and is difficult to diagnose. Medications such as Albendazole and Ivermectin are used for treatment, and efforts are being made to develop a cheap and easily distributed vaccine.
Filariasis is a tropical disease spread by heartworms. It is most commonly seen in tropical areas of Africa, Asia, and Central and South America. Cases of heartworm disease are believed to have been around for around 4,000 years. There are even artifacts from the ancient Egyptians depicting the disease. Filariasis is a serious condition that is usually not noticed until the adult worms have died. While the disease is usually not fatal, it can cause permanent damage to the lymphatic system, kidneys, or any other part of the body that has been affected by the condition.
The cause of heartworm disease is heartworm nematodes. There are eight varieties of heartworms that cause heartworm disease, divided into three types based on the areas of the body they affect, the tissues and skin, the lymphatic system or the stomach, lungs and heart. Heartworms have a complicated life span, having first been born into a human host and then removed from the human via a mosquito or other blood-sucking insect. Finally, the mature larvae are inserted into a new host when the insect feeds again.
Lymphatic filariasis is the most common strain of this disease. It usually affects the lower half of the body, resulting in thick, swollen limbs and, in men, mutated genitalia. Called elephantitis, this condition, if left untreated, can dramatically disfigure infected individuals until their lower halves are unrecognizable as human. Other forms of heartworm disease can cause blindness, a rash, abdominal pain, or arthritis-like symptoms.
Heartworm disease can be difficult to diagnose. Because worms are nocturnal, they only show up in blood drawn at night. After a blood test has confirmed the presence of heartworm worms, medications can be used to get rid of the worms. Albendazole and Ivermectin are two of the most common drugs used as treatment. Antibiotics, such as doxycycline, can be used to kill the bacteria living inside the worms, which will also kill the worms.
There are ongoing efforts to permanently eradicate heartworms, preventing millions of infestations each year. The Global Program to Eliminate LF is an organization focused on developing ways to treat and prevent further cases of heartworm and has already prevented millions of infections, mostly in children. Since the disease is commonly found in poverty-stricken areas that usually lack adequate health care, developing a vaccination that can be cheaply and easily distributed may be the best chance to stop the further spread of heartworm disease.
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