"Nearly 900 million people live in lymphatic filariasis endemic areas, with about 40 million of them having chronic disease manifestations. In those with lymphedema, the legs and arms can swell to an extent that they can hardly walk," says Marc Hübner from the Institute of Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology at the University of Bonn.

28.01.2022

Neglected Tropical Diseases - the poor are the most affected

Around 1.7 billion people worldwide suffer from neglected tropical diseases. These diseases mostly affect people in poor regions. There are plans to eradicate the disease, but the implementation plans are delayed.
River blindness and elephantiasis make up a large part of the so-called neglected diseases. The impact of these filarial diseases is usually terrible. People affected by river blindness, for example, can lose their vision completely and go blind. Elephantiasis, or lymphatic filariasis, causes lymphedema. Which results in swelling of legs, feet, and arms. The name elephantiasis is no accident, the affected legs and feet can become as thick as those of elephants. In men, accumulation of fluid in the testis can also occur, resulting in swelling and a condition known as hydrocele. In extreme cases, it becomes as large as a medicine ball. Both diseases are caused by nematode parasites.