| Disease/Syndrome |
Filariasis |
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| Category |
Infection, Travel |
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| Acute/Chronic |
Acute-Moderate |
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| Synonyms |
Filariasis due to: Wucheria bancrofti; Brugia malayi; Brugia timori; [CCDM, p. 205] |
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| Biomedical References |
Search PubMed |
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| Comments |
The initial symptoms are episodes of fever, lymphadenitis, lymphangitis, headache, backache, and nausea. Hydrocele is the most common manifestation of chronic lymphedema. [PPID, p. 286] The body's reaction to the adult filarial worm in the lymphatic vessels leads to chronic inflammation, lymphatic obstruction, and secondary bacterial infections. Tropical pulmonary eosinophilia (TPE) is uncommon. TPE is the pulmonary reaction to microfilariae in the capillaries and may progress to pulmonary fibrosis. Patients with TPE have marked eosinophilia, low-grade fever, and episodes of wheezing. Lymphatic filariasis may cause epididymitis, hematuria, proteinuria, and arthritis. [Merck Manual, p. 1548-9] Some of the different syndromes are: 1) no symptoms; 2) recurrent lymphangitis and lymphadenitis (acute adenolymphangitis); 3) lymphedema of limbs, breasts, and genitalia; 4) pulmonary eosinophilic syndrome with asthma, interstitial lung disease, and recurrent fever. Cats, civets, and primates are reservoirs in Malaysia, southern Thailand, the Philippines, and Indonesia. [CCDM, p. 205-10] Patients with acute adenolymphangitis present with sudden onset of fever and painful, swollen lymph nodes. The lymphangitis is retrograde, moving away from the lymph nodes. Typically, patients have one-week episodes of fever and lymphadenitis several times a year. TPE is an uncommon complication with most cases reported in southern India, Indonesia, and East Africa. Filarial worms and microfilariae can invade the conjunctiva and orbit. ". . . the risk of developing acute or chronic manifestations of lymphatic filariasis for the traveler to endemic areas is extraordinarily small, given the inefficiency of transmission and the requirement for repeated contact with infected mosquitoes, although it has been seen rarely." [Guerrant, p. 1152-9, 1589] |
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| Latency/Incubation |
Microfilariae appear blood: 3-6 months (B. malayi); 6-12 months (W. bancrofti); |
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| Diagnostic |
Giemsa stain of blood smear or detect live worms under microscope; Concentrate microfilariae by filtration of anticoagulated blood; Ultrasound (worms in lymphatic vessels); New ELISA or immunochromatic test cards to detect antigens; [CCDM, p. 206] |
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| ICD-9 Code |
125 |
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| Effective Antimicrobics |
Yes |
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| Scope |
". . . sub-Saharan Africa, Egypt, southern Asia, the western Pacific islands, the northeastern coast of Brazil, Guyana, and the Caribbean island of Hispaniola." [CDC Travel, p. 141] |
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| Reference Link |
CDC - Filariasis |
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| Image |
Filariasis Elephantiasis in a Girl from Brazil |
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| Related Information in Haz-Map |
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| Symptoms/Findings |
Symptoms/Findings associated with this disease:
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| Job Tasks |
High risk job tasks associated with this disease:
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