Elephantiasis
or Lymphatic Filariasis
Caused By Mosquito Bites
Elephantiasis or Lymphatic Filariasis
is an infection of parasitic roundworms like: Wuchereria Bancrofti,
Brugia Malayi, and Brugia Timori. Elephantiasis currently affects
20 million people worldwide.
When an infected mosquito bites a person the mosquito can inject
the parasitic roundworms into the bloodstream and travels to your
lymph system. The worms may live undetected for years, and then
symptoms of Elephantiasis may surface, such as: lymphedema (extremely
enlarged/swollen) of the arms, legs, genitalia, and breasts. This
enlargement of extremities occurs when the parasites cause blockages
in the blood vessels and fluid builds up. Additional bacterial infections
and decreased immune function can also result from the infestation
in the lymph system.
It takes many mosquito bites over the course of several months to
years before one can be infected with Elephantiasis (Lymphatic Filariasis)
in a tropical or sub-tropical area. The Center for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) suggests ways to avoid mosquito bites and a
Lymphatic Filariasis infection:
Sleep under a mosquito net.
Use mosquito repellant on your exposed skin
between dusk and dawn.
Take a yearly dose of medicine that kills
the worms circulating in the blood.
