Elephantiasis Essay Research Paper My report is

Elephantiasis Essay, Research Paper

My report is on elephantiasis. It is a disease that is mostly

found in the tropics. This disease is a condition in which a part

of the body becomes grossly enlarged due to a thickening of the

skin and the underlying tissues. It results from a long term

interference with the flow of lymphatic fluid away from these

tissues. The most frequently affected part is the leg. The most

common cause of lymphatic obstruction is filaries. Filaries is

caused chiefly by the species Wuchereria. When you have

elephantiasis wherever it is located your skin will become rough

and thickened like the skin of an elephant.

Over 1 billion people in 73 countries are at risk of getting

elephantiasis, and there are over 120 million people who

already have it.

New research has determined that albendazole, which has

already become a standard treatment to fight intestinal

parasites, is 99 percent effective against the parasite that

causes lymphatic filariasis. The disease, carried by mosquitoes,

often leads to elephantiasis, which is the enlargement of the

arms, legs, and genital organs.

A second major benefit of albendazole for the control of

lymphatic filariasis comes from the fact that at the same time

albendazole is attacking the filarial parasite it will also cure

infections with gastro-intestinal parasites (including hookworm)

as well.

It is estimated that, because nearly one-fifth of the world’s

population is at risk of infection, it will take approximately 20

years to eliminate the disease.

In men the scrotum is affected about as much as the leg.

Less often it occurs in the arm. Occasionally, it affects the

breasts or external genitals of women.

In rare cases, elephantiasis may be caused from a lot of

surgical removal of lymph nodes or from a disease other than

filariasis affecting the nodes.