Elephantiasis is also called lymphatic filariasis. Elephantiasis is an unusual enlargement of any body part due to obstruction of the lymphatic channels. Elephantiasis is a condition most frequently caused because of an obstruction of the lymphatic vessels, which finally results in excessive swelling of the skin and tissues, usually in the lower part and body. It mainly affects the legs and genitals, resulting in shapeless, thickened and ulcerated skin, along with fever and chills. This disease is most common in tropical countries and it is mainly causes because of small parasitic roundworms of the group Wuchereria bancrofti or Brugia malayi that are insert into the body with the help of many species of mosquitoes. The adult worms live in the lymphatic system, it causes local swelling or inflammation, fibrosis, and barrier, and finally results as enlargement and thickening of the skin. The primary damage done by the worms can be seriously worsened with secondary bacterial and fungal infections.
Female mosquitoes transmit elephantiasis. When an infected female mosquito bites any human being, she may insert the worm larvae into the bloodstream. The worm larvae make a replica and spread all over the bloodstream, where they can live for several years.
Elephantiasis can be exceptionally painful and uncomfortable and it reduces the patient’s skill to lead a normal life. A severe problem of elephantiasis can be obstructed blood vessels, which bound blood supply and cause the skin to become infected.
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