Medication
Diethylcarbamazine or ivermectin are effective drugs in the treatment of most filarial infections. Other drugs include albendazole and mebendazole. Antihistamines or corticosteroids can decrease allergic reactions.
Procedures
Mass drug administration by the World Health Organization has helped to diminish the incidence of filariasis. However, continued research on new drugs and vaccinations will be needed to control and reduce the microfilarial levels in the human population. Publication types
Self-care
Treatment of lymphatic filariasis in adults and children > 18 months of age involves either a 1 day or 12 day treatment course of DEC (6mg/kg/day). One day treatment is generally as effective as the 12-day regimen. For tropical pulmonary eosinophilia (TPE), a longer DEC treatment course of 14-21 days is generally recommended.
Nutrition
Chronic filariasis. Treatment of chronic filariasis does not change the prognosis, as irreversible fibrosis usually destroys lymphatic tissue. However, asymptomatic patients, hoping to diminish progression of the disease, still typically undergo treatment, although the benefit of this is unclear.
What medications are used to treat filariasis?
How can filariasis be prevented?
What is the duration of treatment for lymphatic filariasis?
What is the prognosis of chronic filariasis?
Is there any cure for filariasis?
There's no vaccine or cure for filariasis. Medication can kill many of the worms and keep you from spreading the infection to someone else. Treatment can also reduce filariasis symptoms.
What is filariasis symptoms and treatment?
Some people with filariasis have no symptoms. Other affected individuals may have episodes of acute inflammation of lymphatic vessels (lymphangitis) along with high temperatures, shaking chills, body aches, and swollen lymph nodes.
Can filariasis be treated with antibiotics?
A single course of one antibiotic can successfully treat elephantiasis (filariasis), a parasitic worm disease that is one of the most common causes of global disability, concludes a study published in this weeks issue of The Lancet.
How can I treat filaria at home?
1:112:51Home Remedy for Filariasis - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipTake about 10 dried Varley leaves powder add. About 10 dried cateura leaves powder. These leavesMoreTake about 10 dried Varley leaves powder add. About 10 dried cateura leaves powder. These leaves help provide pain relief add an equal amount of castor root powder.
How is filariasis detected?
The standard method for diagnosing active infection is the identification of microfilariae in a blood smear by microscopic examination. The microfilariae that cause lymphatic filariasis circulate in the blood at night (called nocturnal periodicity).
What foods to avoid if you have filaria?
Milk and products, fish, jaggery, sweets and contaminated water must be avoided.
Which medicine is best for filariasis?
Diethylcarbamazine (DEC) is the drug of choice in the United States. The drug kills the microfilariae and some of the adult worms. DEC has been used world-wide for more than 50 years.
What are Antifilarial drugs?
Diethylcarbamazine and suramin are the drugs of choice for the control of lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis respectively. Benzimidazoles, ivermectin, furapyrimidone, and isothiocyanates and their derivatives emerge as compounds of potential clinical interest as antifilarials.
What is the best treatment for elephantiasis?
Your doctor may give you one called diethylcarbamazine (DEC). You'll take it once a year. It will kill the microscopic worms in your bloodstream. Another way to treat elephantiasis is to use DEC in combination with a medicine called ivermectin.
Does filariasis cause itching?
In the human body, the adult worms produce embryonic larvae (microfilariae) that migrate to the skin, eyes and other organs. The worms can cause severe itching, disfiguring skin conditions, and blindness or impaired vision.
Is filariasis a viral disease?
Filariasis is a parasitic disease caused by an infection with roundworms of the Filarioidea type. These are spread by blood-feeding insects such as black flies and mosquitoes. They belong to the group of diseases called helminthiases.
What causes filaria disease?
Lymphatic filariasis is caused by infection with parasites classified as nematodes (roundworms) of the family Filariodidea. There are 3 types of these thread-like filarial worms: Wuchereria bancrofti, which is responsible for 90% of the cases. Brugia malayi, which causes most of the remainder of the cases.
What is the treatment for filariasis?
What is the treatment? The treatment of filariasis consists of using medicines that kill the worms combined with the treatment to relieve the symptoms. Diethylcarbamazine or ivermectin are effective drugs in the treatment of most filarial infections. Other drugs include albendazole and mebendazole.
Where is filariasis most prevalent?
It is more prevalent in the tropical areas of Africa, Asia, Central and South America. In India, it is common in eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. This disease spreads from person to person by mosquito bites.
What worm causes lymphatic filariasis?
There are eight different types of this worm, out of which three are responsible for causing the disease: Wucheria bancrofti and Brugia malayi cause lymphatic filariasis, and Onchocera volvulus causes onchocerciasis (river blindness).
How to stop worms from swollen arms?
One may keep the swelling from getting worse by: Carefully washing the swollen area with soap and water everyday. Using anti-bacterial anti-fungal creams on the wound.
Does elephantiasis kill worms?
In case of elephantiasis, one needs to take a yearly dose of medicine that kills the microscopic worms in the blood. This does not kill the adult worms, but it does prevent transmission of the disease to other persons. Even after the adult worms die, swelling of arms, legs, breasts, or genitals, may be present.
What is the treatment for lymphatic filariasis?
Diethylcarbamazine (DEC) is the treatment of choice for lymphatic filariasis. However, when co-infection with other filarial organisms exists or in the context of mass drug administration, the treatment course must be adjusted accordingly.
What should be the medical management of a filarial infection?
The medical management of a filarial infection should be specific and based on the microfilariae isolated or antigenemia detected. Specific attention should be paid to the presence of coinfection with multiple filarial organisms, as this will alter the treatment regimen.
What is the best diet for chyluria?
In the treatment of chyluria, a special low-fat, high-protein diet supplemented with medium-chain triglycerides may prove beneficial. Secondary infection. Supportive care should include the prevention of secondary infection, especially in patients with advanced disease.
What is the treatment for adenolymphangitis?
Such care includes the use of antihistamines, steroids, pain relief, and intravenous antibiotics for secondary infections. Lymphedema. Steroids can be used to soften and reduce the swelling of lymphedematous tissues.
Does filariasis change the prognosis?
Chronic filariasis. Treatment of chronic filariasis does not change the prognosis, as irreversible fibrosis usually destroys lymphatic tissue. However, asymptomatic patients, hoping to diminish progression of the disease, still typically undergo treatment, although the benefit of this is unclear. [ 63] Chyluria.
What is the disease of filariasis?
Filariasis is an infectious tropical disease caused by any one of several thread-like parasitic round worms. The two species of worms most often associated with this disease are Wuchereria bancrofti and Brugia malayi. The larval form of the parasite transmits the disease to humans by the bite of a mosquito. In the early stages of the infection, the patient characteristically complains of fever, chills, headaches and skin lesions. Any one of several antiparasitic agents may be effective in eliminating the worm. However, if the disease is left untreated, obstruction of the lymph flow will cause particular areas of the body especially the legs and external genitals, to swell profoundly. Symptoms are primarily a response to adult worms that cause inflammation. Chronic inflammation may progress to hardening of the lymphatic vessels (fibrosis) and obstruction of the lymph flow.
Where is filariasis found?
Filariasis is common disease in tropical regions of the world. The organism W. bancrofti is present throughout Africa, Asia, China, and South America. B. malayi is found in southern and southeast Asia. Filariasis is extremely rare in North America and occurs only when these organisms are imported from tropical regions.
What is the name of the disease caused by round worms?
Filariasis is a rare infectious tropical disorder caused by the round worm parasites (nematode) Wuchereria bancrofti or Brugia malayi. Symptoms result primarily from inflammatory reactions to the adult worms. Some people may also develop hypersensitivity reactions to the small larval parasites (microfilariae).
What is Bancroftian filariasis?
Bancroftian filariasis affects both the legs and the genitals. The Malayan variety affects the legs below the knees. Some people with filariasis have abnormally high levels of certain white blood cells (eosinophilia) during acute episodes of symptoms. When the inflammation resolves, these levels return to normal.
How to treat elephantiasis of the legs?
Treatment of elephantiasis of the legs usually consists of elevation and support from elastic stockings. In the tropical areas of the world, mosquito control is an important part of prevention of filariasis. Filariasis is usually a self-limited disease unless reinfection occurs.
Why is it important to eliminate worms?
The elimination of adult worms must be undertaken with care because high concentration of dead worms in the lymph or blood can provoke dangerous allergic reactions and abscesses. Surgery may be used to treat some people with filariasis who develop an abnormal accumulation of fluid in the scrotum (hydrocele).
Is filariasis rare in North America?
Filariasis is extremely rare in North America and occurs only when these organisms are imported from tropical regions. The infection is transmitted by several different types of tropical mosquitos which transfer the larval stage of the organism (microfilariae) from one host to another.
What is the treatment?
Filariasis is a parasitic infection that causes abnormal swelling of different body parts that may lead to permanent disability in some cases. The filarial nematode parasites are spread from one person to another through mosquitoes.
How is the treatment done?
Elephantiasis of the scrotal sac or any large hydroceles can be dealt with by the way of a surgical excision. Elephantiasis of the limbs can be corrected with surgery in very little cases and may need more than one surgical procedure and heavy skin grafting.
Who is eligible for the treatment? (When is the treatment done?)
Edema, the most common symptom of lymphatic filariasis, develops many years after the person gets affected. So, it is very hard to detect filariasis before it gets to a serious stage. People living in endemic regions are eligible for the drug administration programs to eliminate the disorder.
Who is not eligible for the treatment?
As the physical manisfestations of filariasis are visible years after a person actually gets affected, many people suffering from filariasis don't actually get treated before it's too long.
Are there any side effects?
Like any other major surgery, the surgery for lymphatic filariasis has its share of side effects. The drugs injected to eliminate filariasis can aggravate the condition of one's onchoceral eye disease.
What are the post-treatment guidelines?
People who undergo lymphology procedure must adhere by the guidelines set by their surgeons.
How long does it take to recover?
The time of recovery varies from one individual to the next and the severity of the condition in the respective individuals. People who undergo lymphology need almost a month to recover completely.
What is the name of the worm that causes filariasis?
Subcutaneous filariasis is caused by Loa loa (the eye worm), Mansonella streptocerca, and Onchocerca volvulus.
What is the most common symptom of lymphatic filariasis?
The most spectacular symptom of lymphatic filariasis is elephantiasis – edema with thickening of the skin and underlying tissues —which was the first disease discovered to be transmitted by mosquito bites. Elephantiasis results when the parasites lodge in the lymphatic system.
What is the best treatment for worms?
The recommended treatment for people outside the United States is albendazole combined with ivermectin. A combination of diethylcarbamazine and albendazole is also effective. Side effects of the drugs include nausea, vomiting, and headaches. All of these treatments are microfilaricides; they have no effect on the adult worms. While the drugs are critical for treatment of the individual, proper hygiene is also required. There is good evidence that albendazole alone; or addition of albendazole to diethylcarbamazine or ivermectin, makes minimal difference in clearing microfilaria or adult worms from blood circulation. Diethylcarbamazine-medicated salt is effective in controlling lymphatic filariasis while maintaining its coverage at 90% in the community for six months.
How many filarial worms are there?
Eight known filarial worms have humans as a definitive host. These are divided into three groups according to the part of the body they affect: Lymphatic filariasis is caused by the worms Wuchereria bancrofti, Brugia malayi, and Brugia timori.
What causes serous cavity filariasis?
Serous cavity filariasis is caused by the worms Mansonella perstans and Mansonella ozzardi, which occupy the serous cavity of the abdomen. Dirofilaria immitis, the dog heartworm, rarely infects humans.
What is the parasitic disease caused by roundworms?
Filariasis. Filariasis is a parasitic disease caused by an infection with roundworms of the Filarioidea type. These are spread by blood-feeding insects such as black flies and mosquitoes. They belong to the group of diseases called helminthiases .
What is the term for worms that live in one tissue?
The adult worms, which usually stay in one tissue, release early larval forms known as microfilariae into the person's blood. These circulating microfilariae can be taken up during a blood meal by an insect vector; in the vector, they develop into infective larvae that can be spread to another person.
What is filariasis parasite?
Filariasis refers to parasitic infection caused by filarial parasites. The clinical manifestation and treatment of filariasis depends on the type of filarial parasitic worm (nematode) involved. The following table lists the parasite and the filarial disease caused. Filarial parasite. Filarial disease.
How is filariasis spread?
Filariasis is spread from host -to-host via the bites of certain flies and mosquitoes that act as vectors for the parasites. For example the filarial nematode Onchocerca volvulus enters the skin from the bite of an infected blackfly (Simulium species).
What is the most obvious symptom of lymphatic filariasis?
Bancroftian and Malayan filariasis (lymphatic filariasis) The most obvious symptom of lymphatic filariasis is elephantiasis. This is a condition where the limbs swell to the point that they resemble an elephant’s foreleg in size, texture and colour.
What is the best antihelminthic drug for lymphatic filariasis?
Ivermectin is the antihelminthic drug of choice. Nodulectomy – surgical removal of the palpable nodules in combination with ivermectin therapy may be useful. Lymphatic filariasis. Diethylcarbamazine (DEC) is the drug registered for use in this disease, however it is associated with many side effects.
What is the best treatment for M perstans?
Combination treatment with DEC and mebendazole appears to be the ideal treatment for M perstans infections. Ivermectin appears to be effective treatment against M streptocerca infections. Dirofilariasis. Surgical removal of the lesion or extraction of the worm is the only method of treatment for human infections.
Do humans have dirofilariasis?
However in recent years there has been a reported increase in the number of human dirofilariasis cases. The head, neck, breasts, arms, legs and scrotum are most commonly affected.
How long does it take to treat lymphatic filariasis?
Treatment of lymphatic filariasis in adults and children > 18 months of age involves either a 1 day or 12 day treatment course of DEC (6mg/kg/day). One day treatment is generally as effective as the 12-day regimen. For tropical pulmonary eosinophilia (TPE), a longer DEC treatment course of 14-21 days is generally recommended.
What is the best treatment for worms?
Antiparasitic Treatment. The main goal of treatment of an infected person is to kill the adult worm. Diethylcarbamazine citrate (DEC), which is both microfilaricidal and active against the adult worm, is the drug of choice for lymphatic filariasis. The late phase of chronic disease is not affected by chemotherapy.
How long does it take to cure tropical pulmonary eosinophilia?
For tropical pulmonary eosinophilia (TPE), a longer DEC treatment course of 14-21 days is generally recommended. DEC is generally well tolerated. Side effects are generally limited and depend on the number of microfilariae in the blood.
Medical Management
Surgery
Diet and Activity
Prevention
Specialist to consult
Consultations