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    Loa Loa: The African"eye Worm"

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    mulatumelese
    Loa loa, also known as the African eye worm, is a parasitic filarial nematode transmitted by the Chrysops silacea fly in West and Central Africa. It causes Calabar swellings on the skin and can invade vital organs. Diagnosis involves examining blood for microfilariae or using serology and PCR tests. Treatment involves chemotherapy and surgically removing adult worms, while prevention focuses on treating infected individuals and controlling vectors.

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    Loa Loa: The African"eye Worm"

    Uploaded by

    mulatumelese
    32 views15 pages
    Loa loa, also known as the African eye worm, is a parasitic filarial nematode transmitted by the Chrysops silacea fly in West and Central Africa. It causes Calabar swellings on the skin and can invade vital organs. Diagnosis involves examining blood for microfilariae or using serology and PCR tests. Treatment involves chemotherapy and surgically removing adult worms, while prevention focuses on treating infected individuals and controlling vectors.

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    Loa-Loa (African eye worm)

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    Loa-Loa

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    Loa loa, also known as the African eye worm, is a parasitic filarial nematode transmitted by the Chrysops silacea fly in West and Central Africa. It causes Calabar swellings on the skin and can invade vital organs. Diagnosis involves examining blood for microfilariae or using serology and PCR tests. Treatment involves chemotherapy and surgically removing adult worms, while prevention focuses on treating infected individuals and controlling vectors.

    Copyright:

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    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    Download as pdf or txt
    32 views15 pages

    Loa Loa: The African"eye Worm"

    Uploaded by

    mulatumelese
    Loa loa, also known as the African eye worm, is a parasitic filarial nematode transmitted by the Chrysops silacea fly in West and Central Africa. It causes Calabar swellings on the skin and can invade vital organs. Diagnosis involves examining blood for microfilariae or using serology and PCR tests. Treatment involves chemotherapy and surgically removing adult worms, while prevention focuses on treating infected individuals and controlling vectors.

    Copyright:

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    of 15

    Loa loa

    The Africaneye worm

    Geographical distribution Also called Loaiasis or Loiasis West and Central parts of Africa

    The vector is a day-time biting fly

    Chrysops silacea

    Calabar swelling
    On hands, wrists, forearms or other sites. Painless, non-pitting.

    Last from few hours to several days.


    May recur for years. Due to hosts immune response to the parasites antigen. Generalized pruritis, fatigue and arthralgia are common.

    Serious complications:
    Microfilariae invade CNS, heart, Kidneys or other vital organs.

    Adults live in the subcutaneous tissue of man.

    Under the conjunctiva of the eye.

    Loa loa adult in Calabar swelling x section

    Diagnosis Clinical: worms under the skin or conjunctiva. Laboratory: - Microfilariae in blood (at day time). - Serology. - PCR. - Eosinophilia.

    Treatment: Chemotherapy as in Bancroftian filariasis. Surgical removal of adults.

    Prevention & control:


    Treatment of patients. Vector control.

    Summary
    Parasite W. bancrofti B. malayi B. timori O. volvulus L. loa M. perstans M. streptocerca M. ozzardi
    8/22/2013

    Mosquito Culex Mansonia Anopheles/Mansonia Simulium flies Chrysops flies Culicoides Culicoides Culicoides

    Disease LF LF LF River Blindness S/c swellings Serous cavity


    15

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