Elephantiasis

Elephantiasis is an infectious disease, and although it doesn’t cause severe symptoms in most of the cases, in other cases it can lead to serious complications.

Elephantiasis

Elephantiasis is an infectious disease that occurs due to the infection of the lymphatic system.

Elephantiasis is common in areas with tropical climates, and it’s rare to get lymphatic filariasis during short stays in these regions.

Causes of elephantiasis

• A type of roundworm causes a parasitic infection, which, in turn, could lead to elephantiasis. This parasite transfers between human beings through mosquito bites. However, one mosquito bite probably won’t cause elephantiasis, and it might take frequent bites over months or even years to cause this infection.

Symptoms of elephantiasis

• Elephantiasis doesn’t usually cause severe effects in about 2 in every 3 patients. Symptoms usually include inflammation, edema, lymphedema (fluid buildup in the lymphatic system), and hydrocele (swelling and fluid buildup in the scrotum).
• Weak immunity resulting from elephantiasis can lead to serious complications over time, such as recurrent bacterial infections, thickened skin, fluid retention, and an increase in the white blood cells that caused difficulty breathing and coughing (tropical pulmonary eosinophilia syndrome).

Diagnosis of elephantiasis

• Physical exam.
• Blood tests.

Treatment of elephantiasis

• Antiparasitic medications.
• Surgery to remove the dead worms from the bloodstream in some cases.
• To prevent elephantiasis, you must protect yourself from mosquito bites by sleeping under a mosquito net, using insect repellent, and wearing long pants and long sleeves.