Filariasis: Causes, Symptoms and Its Diagnosis

Filariasis is a parasitic illness spread by mosquitoes and black flies. These parasites are worm-like, slender, spherical creatures. When examined under a microscope, they seem white or transparent. Filariae has a lifespan of around 5 to 7 years. They create millions of larvae during the course of their lives. The females are between 250 and 300 m long, while the males are around half that length. 

Keyterms: Filariasis, black flies, mosquitoes, Blood, Skin, lymphatic system, parasite illness

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Transmission of Filariasis

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Filariasis is caused by a roundworm belonging to the Filarioidea genus. However, this is a vector-borne illness, with mosquitoes and black flies serving as the principal vectors. When a mosquito bites an already sick person and then bites a healthy person, the virus spreads. This allows the parasite's larvae to enter and proliferate in the bloodstream of a healthy host. The lymphatic system is responsible for the whole life cycle of filarial worms, from larva to adult. The adult filarial worm begins to release larval versions known as microfilariae after it has reached maturity. The freshly created microfilariae enters the mosquito along with the blood of the host, and the cycle begins again. This parasite illness is classified according to where area of the body is infected:

Lymphatic filariasis: This kind of filariasis affects the lymphatic system, as the name implies.

Subcutaneous filariasis :The worms infect the bottom layer of the skin and the white area of the eyes in subcutaneous filariasis.

Filariasis of the serous cavity of the abdomen: In this condition, the serous cavity of the abdomen is contaminated.

Filarial worms have been detected in over a hundred different species. Only 8 to 9 of these are classified as filarial parasites, which cause infections in humans.

Read More: Vector Borne Diseases

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Symptoms of Filariasis

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During the early stages of filariasis, the following symptoms are common:

• Fever
• Chills
• Headache
• In the early stages, between three and nine months following the bug bite, skin lesions might be seen.

Symptoms of filariasis in the latter stages include:

• Oedema is caused by a blockage in the lymphatic system.
• In the arms and legs, there is swelling, redness, and discomfort.
• Pus accumulation in cells

Pus is formed in a cell as a result of dying worms or a subsequent bacterial infection.

• Skin rashes.
• Abdominal pain
•  Hyperpigmented or hypopigmented skin on the face, arms, feet, and other regions of the body.
•  Damage to the cornea, choroid, retina, and optic nerve, eventually culminating in vision loss. 
• These symptoms are ignored, the disease will progress to the point where the limbs and genitalia are grossly enlarged, a condition known as elephantiasis.

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Diagnosis of Filariasis

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It's difficult to identify this condition since the symptoms differ from one kind to the next, and the early-stage symptoms are similar to those of typical viral and bacterial illnesses. However, bodily analysis, physical examination, and body fluid tests, such as a blood test and urine test, are used in a few diagnostic procedures. Apart from these examinations, only a few blood tests are carried out at night, when the larvae are most active. Blood is extracted from a bigger vein and spread on a glass slide, which is a common diagnostic technique. The existence of parasitic larval roundworms is next checked under an electron microscope on this plate. The Giemsa stain is used to check for the presence of Filariasis. A skin snip test is used to confirm the diagnosis of subcutaneous filariasis.

Filariasis Treatment

There is currently no vaccination available to prevent filariasis. Filariasis is still a disease that scientists are trying to find a treatment for. It is preferable to prevent rather than cure. As we all know, mosquito bites produce this sickness; thus, it is preferable to avoid the source of the sickness by:

• Mosquito bites can be avoided by wearing long sleeves and pants.
• Use insect repellents containing DEET.
• Keeping stagnant water from accumulating
• If at all feasible, use mosquito mats, coils, and nets.
• Dark-colored clothes attract mosquitoes, thus it may be advantageous to avoid them, despite the lack of scientific evidence.

If filariasis is contracted despite these precautions, the optimum therapy is a course of anthelmintic medicines or antibiotics. The best solution is to use an anthelmintic, which kills the worms directly. Antibiotics, on the other hand, are a fantastic option if this isn't possible since they target the symbiotic bacteria that live within the worms. When these bacteria are killed by antibiotics, the worms are unable to survive and grow inside their hosts, impeding reproduction.

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