1. Lymphatic Filariasis
By Morgan McBride

2. Lymphatic Filariasis is one of the oldest known diseases
2000 BC
Pharaoh Mentuhotep II was depicted as having swollen limbs, which suggest elephantiasis
Discovery of symptoms in 1588 on an exploration of Goa

3. “In 1997, the World Health Assembly called upon Member States to develop national plans that would lead to the elimination of LF. In 2000, the World Health Organization (WHO) established the Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF), which has the goal of eliminating lymphatic filariasis as a public-health problem by the year 2020.” -World Health Organization

4. The story of Hamisu Isa, age 35, from Nigeria
Hamisu is 35 and has suffered for LF’s severest conditions for years. His journey with this this disease is much like a lot of those living in endemic areas. But first, lets learn about what exactly this disease is and how it affects people.

5. Lymphatic Filariasis is an Infection of the lymph nodes caused by parasitic nematode worms

6. 3 types of filarial nematodes cause LF
Wuchereria bancrofti*
Brugia malayi
Brugia timoria
Wuchereria is the most common. Responsible for 90% of the cases

7. The parasite is transmitted through a mosquito vector
Africa: Anopheles
In the Americas: Culex quinquefasciatus
In the Pacific and in Asia: Mansonia and Aedes species

8. Life cycle: vectorhumanvector

9. Life cycle: vectorhumanvector

10. LF affects the lymph system
The lymph system is responsible for maintaining the body’s fluid balance
Fights infections
The parasitic worms only live in the body’s lymphatic system. [1] The lymphatic system is a network of tubes throughout the body that is responsible for draining fluids out of the tissues. The lymphatic system also helps protect the body from infection and disease. Once in the lymphatic system, the parasites can live for 5-7 years, reproducing and increasing the severity of the disease.

11. Due to the slow progress of the disease, most people are in the asymptomatic stage of symptoms.
3 Types of symptoms
Asymptomatic
Acute
Chroninc
The disease is characterized by the chronic conditions

12. Chronic Symptoms include, lymphedema elephantiasis, paralysis, and hydrocele
jama.jamanetwork.com

13. The most accurate way to diagnose is the Circulating filarial antigen detection method
Observation lymphedema of limbs or disease of male genitalia in an individual more than 15 years of age
High frequency ultrasound coupled with Doppler techniques
Blood smear of nocturnal blood
Assays for circulating antigens of W. bancrofti

14. LF can only be managed with treatments
Diethylacarbamazine (DEC)
Ivermectine
Albendazole
There is no cure for the disease, but symptoms can be managed with treatment. These drugs reduce the amount of microfilarea in the blood, which in turn reduces the chance of the infected blood being spread by mosquitos. However, if a patient developed elephantiasis, lymphedema, or hydrocele the only treatment is management

15. Combination of Albendazole with DEC or Ivermectine is recommended for most effective treatment

16. The drugs cannot reverse the affects of chronic conditions, so they must be managed

17. Prevention by lowering the chance of being bitten is key
Bed nets
Mosquito repellents
Note it takes multiple bites to become fully infected with LF
science.nationalgeographic.com

18. Let’s go back to Hamisu

19. LF is a “Neglected Tropical Disease” of the Developing World.

20. Approximately 120 million people in 81 countries are infected with Lymphatic Filariasis
1/3 are in India
1/3 are in Africa
1/3 in South Asia, the Pacific, and the Americas
Lymphatic Filariasis was eradicated in the US in the 1920s

21. LF is the leading cause of permanent and long-term disability
LF is the leading cause of permanent and long-term disability. More than 30% of the 120 million people are severely disabled.

22. Increased disability results in economic concerns in endemic countries

23. Is there hope for those at risk? And those with the disease?

24. World Health Organization’s GPELF program has 2 goals
Stop transmission
Alleviate suffering and disability

25. Stop transmission through Mass Drug Administration (MDA)

26. Data from 2010 to show progress made within GPELF

27. Mass Drug Administration (MDA) is most effective with the use of several rounds of drugs

28. Between 2000-2009 2.8 billion doses of medicine were delivered to 845 million people.

29. There is hope for eradicating LF from the World

30. Works Cited
"Diagnosis." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 01 Apr Web. 24 Nov
"Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 14 June Web. 24 Nov
"Lymphatic Filariasis." - MicrobeWiki. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Nov
"Lymphatic Filariasis – Stories From the Field: Hamisu Isa." Lymphatic Filariasis – Stories From the Field: Hamisu Isa. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Nov
"Lymphatic Filariasis." Global Network |. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Nov
"Lymphatic Filariasis." WHO. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Nov
Ottesen, Eric A., et al. "The global programme to eliminate lymphatic filariasis: health impact after 8 years." PLoS neglected tropical diseases 2.10 (2008): e317
Taylor, Mark J., Achim Hoerauf, and Moses Bockarie. "Lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis." The Lancet (2010):
"USAID's NTD Program." USAID's Neglected Tropical Disease Program: Target Diseases, Lymphatic Filariasis. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Nov
"Wuchereria Bancrofti - Lymphatic Filariasis - Elephantiasis." Wuchereria Bancrofti - Lymphatic Filariasis - Elephantiasis. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Nov