Wuchereria bancrofti is a worm that belongs to the phylum Nematoda, which is why it has the characteristic cylindrical shape. They are small in size and lodge inside the host's lymphatic vessels.
It is named after two well-known scientists: Joseph Bancroft and Otto Wucherer. It is a common pathogen that causes the disease known as lymphatic filariasis in humans.
Wuchereria bancrofti. Source: See page for author
This disease affects millions of people each year, especially in tropical regions, where temperatures are hot and humid, such as South America and Africa. Lymphatic filariasis is a disease that affects people not only physically, but also psychologically, due to the body deformity that it causes.
characteristics
-Species: Wuchereria bancrofti.
Morphology
It has the particularity of being a silent disease, since the signs and symptoms do not appear immediately after the infection, but can even take years to do so. Specialists suggest that the parasite is generally acquired during childhood, but it is during early adulthood that the most alarming symptoms appear.
Aedes, one of the vectors of Wuchereria bancrofti. Source: Muhammad Mahdi Karim
What happens when a person suffers from the disease is that the adult worms, which are found inside the lymphatic vessels, disrupt the proper functioning of these.
Among the direct consequences of this is the total or partial obstruction of the lymphatic ducts through which the lymph circulates.
Symptoms of infection
It is important to note that not all people who are infected with Wuchereria bancrofti manifest signs and symptoms of the pathology. That is why it is said that this is a disease that due to its silent evolution constitutes a serious danger to the lives of those who suffer from it.
The fact that an infected individual does not show symptoms does not mean that the parasite or its larvae are not causing damage to structures such as the kidneys or the lymphatic system.
When the infection is symptomatic, the most common symptoms are:
- High fever.
- Swollen lymph nodes.
- Much pain. Especially at the level of the joints.
- Swelling in some part of the body, preferably in the lower and upper limbs or breasts. The tissues suffer swelling, hardening.
- Thickened skin.
- A characteristic sign in men is scrotal swelling. What happens here is that the scrotum grows to an enormous size.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of lymphatic filariasis can be made through two procedures: through a blood test or through an ultrasound.
Through a peripheral blood test it is possible to identify microfilariae. However, it is important to bear in mind that one of the limitations for performing this test is the nocturnal periodicity of this parasite.
Likewise, with an ultrasound the doctor could identify the parasites within the enlarged and deformed lymphatic vessels. This is an exam where they may not be able to tell if they are in very deep blood vessels.
Treatment
The treatment of lymphatic filariasis depends on whether it is in its acute phase or whether it has already become chronic.
The doctor's first thought when diagnosing a patient with this disease is to eliminate the microfilariae that may be circulating in their bloodstream, as well as eliminate the adult worms.
To achieve this, the drug they prescribe is diethylcarbamycin, which has a negative effect on microfilariae by killing them. It has also been shown to be able to kill adult worms to some extent.
Another widely used treatment route is the use of an anthelmintic drug, such as albendazole. This should not be given alone, but rather it is combined with another drug such as diethylcarbamycin or ivermectin. This combination helps to greatly reduce the number of microfilariae in the blood of the infected patient in a short period of time.
The drug most used to eliminate adult parasites is through a drug called doxycycline. This is an antibiotic that aims to eliminate the bacteria that reside inside the parasites. By killing them, the adult worm dies, since these bacteria help it in various metabolic processes essential for it.
When the disease has become chronic, causing deformity in some part of the body, the treatment is oriented more towards the care of the damaged and eroded skin. Sometimes the doctor decides to undergo surgery, in order to improve and optimize lymph circulation.
References
- Beltrán, M., Cancrini, G., Reátegui, G., Melgar, R., Ayllón, C., Garaycochea, M., Reyes, R. and Lammie, P. (2008). Human filariasis in the Peruvian jungle: report of three cases. Peruvian Journal of Experimental Medicine and Public Health. 25 (2)
- Curtis, H., Barnes, S., Schneck, A. and Massarini, A. (2008). Biology. Editorial Médica Panamericana. 7th edition.
- Díaz, M., Norman, F., Monge, B., Pérez, J. and López, R. (2011). Filariasis in clinical practice. Infectious diseases and clinical microbiology. 29 (5)
- Everard, L., (1944) Filariasis due to Wuchereria bancrofti. Medicine 23 (2)
- Hickman, CP, Roberts, LS, Larson, A., Ober, WC, & Garrison, C. (2001). Integrated principles of zoology (Vol. 15). McGraw-Hill.
- Narula R., Singh, S., Agarwal, V. and Narula, K. (2010). Lymphatic filariasis. NJIRM 1 (3)