Pathfinder
Editor, Senior Moderator
Elephantiasis...an emerging health threat
By Rita Ohai 20 hours 26 minutes ago
...Emmanuel is one of the over 70 million Nigerians who have either been infected or are susceptible to Elephantiasis as the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu states, "Two out of every three Nigerians are at risk of being infected with elephantiasis."
This is coming barely one month after Lassa fever had been declared by the Minister as an issue for national concern.
Confirming reports which stress elephantiasis as being endemic in the country, as Chukwu says that "the number of people who were administered drugs as treatment for lymphatic filariasis rose from 4.7 million in 2009 to 10 million in 2010."
A projected increase in reported cases is expected this year.
...
According to Dr. Enuice Alegbe, the infection arises when tiny threadlike worms such as Wuchereria bancrofti, Brugia malayi, and B. timori are transmitted to the humans when infected mosquitoes feed on human blood by biting them: "When a mosquito with bites a person, the parasites are deposited on the person's skin from where they enter the body and migrate to the lymphatic vessels through blood and then they develop into adult worms in the human lymphatic system for about 18 months and sometimes they do not manifest until about four to six years."
She further stated that over 90 per cent of the population are at risk of the being infected with the disease with children under the age of five years, pregnant women and sickle cell anaemia patients being the most susceptible to the disease.
...
Nigeria has the third highest incidence of elephantiasis, surpassed only by India and Indonesia.
Full text:
http://www.thenationonlineng.net/20...-elephantiasis-an-emerging-health-threat.html
By Rita Ohai 20 hours 26 minutes ago
...Emmanuel is one of the over 70 million Nigerians who have either been infected or are susceptible to Elephantiasis as the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu states, "Two out of every three Nigerians are at risk of being infected with elephantiasis."
This is coming barely one month after Lassa fever had been declared by the Minister as an issue for national concern.
Confirming reports which stress elephantiasis as being endemic in the country, as Chukwu says that "the number of people who were administered drugs as treatment for lymphatic filariasis rose from 4.7 million in 2009 to 10 million in 2010."
A projected increase in reported cases is expected this year.
...
According to Dr. Enuice Alegbe, the infection arises when tiny threadlike worms such as Wuchereria bancrofti, Brugia malayi, and B. timori are transmitted to the humans when infected mosquitoes feed on human blood by biting them: "When a mosquito with bites a person, the parasites are deposited on the person's skin from where they enter the body and migrate to the lymphatic vessels through blood and then they develop into adult worms in the human lymphatic system for about 18 months and sometimes they do not manifest until about four to six years."
She further stated that over 90 per cent of the population are at risk of the being infected with the disease with children under the age of five years, pregnant women and sickle cell anaemia patients being the most susceptible to the disease.
...
Nigeria has the third highest incidence of elephantiasis, surpassed only by India and Indonesia.
Full text:
http://www.thenationonlineng.net/20...-elephantiasis-an-emerging-health-threat.html