What Is Elephantiasis?

Also known as lymphatic filariasis, elephantiasis is a disease that has been aptly named for what it does. It makes the body of a person grow like an elephant. The victim may not show any apparent signs of the disease till it reaches its advanced stage. That is why, only when a person reaches fifteen to thirty years of age, the symptoms start showing overtly. There is an enormous enlargement of the skin and tissues. In men, the legs, arms and genitals are the areas which get swollen. Women experience enlargement usually in their legs, breasts and genitalia. Developing nations of the world where mosquitoes still pose a major threat are rife with cases of lymphatic filariasis. The parasitic worms responsible for the disease in human beings are transmitted by female mosquitoes. The worms gradually collect near the lymph nodes and block the flow of lymph in the body. This has a crippling effect on the body’s normal defences. Ancient Persian and Indian writings dating centuries back attest to the occurrence of monstrous swellings of the legs, genitals and arms. Hitherto, no vaccine or quick fix solution is available to treat this dreaded disease. It is approximated that of the 120 million people suffering from elephantiasis, India is host to one-third of the victims. The remaining two-thirds live in Africa, South Asia, the Pacific and the Americas. Read the article given below to know more on the causes, symptoms and treatment of elephantiasis.