How long do loa loa live?

How long do loa loa live?

The adult Loa loa worms, whose longevity can reach 17 years, live in the subcutaneous and intermuscular connective tissue. The fecunded female worms release thousands of sheathed mfs which pass into the lymphatic system, accumulate in the lung, and then invade the peripheral blood.

Can loa loa cause death?

A filarial worm infection called Loiasis that affects over 10 million people in Africa and has been assumed to be a relatively harmless disease could possibly contribute to increased risk of death, according to a study recently published in Lancet Infectious Diseases.

Where do loa loa live?

Loa loa parasites are found in West and Central Africa. Ten countries have areas where there are high rates of infection (i.e., where more than 40% of the people who live in that area report that they have had eye worm in the past). An estimated 14.4 million people live in these areas of high rates of infection.

How do you get rid of loa loa?

There are two medications that can be used to treat the infection and manage the symptoms. The treatment of choice is diethylcarbamazine (DEC), which kills the microfilariae and adult worms. Albendazole is sometimes used in patients who are not cured with multiple DEC treatments. It is thought to kill adult worms.

How do people get infected with Loa loa?

Loiasis, called African eye worm by most people, is caused by the parasitic worm Loa loa. It is passed on to humans through the repeated bites of deerflies (also known as mango flies or mangrove flies) of the genus Chrysops. The flies that pass on the parasite breed in certain rain forests of West and Central Africa.

Can Loa loa cause blindness?

L. loa is one of three parasitic filarial nematodes that cause subcutaneous filariasis in humans. The other two are Mansonella streptocerca and Onchocerca volvulus (causes river blindness).

What is Loa loa symptoms?

If you have loiasis, you may have itchy, non-painful swellings of the body that come and go. The swellings can show up anywhere though they are more common near joints. You may develop an eye worm that crawls across the surface of your eye. Sometimes you may see a worm that crawls under your skin.

How does Loa loa get in eye?

Humans contract this disease through the bite of a deer fly or mango fly (Chrysops spp), the vectors for Loa loa. The adult Loa loa filarial worm migrates throughout the subcutaneous tissues of humans, occasionally crossing into subconjunctival tissues of the eye where it can be easily observed.

What are the symptoms of Loa loa?

How do you test for Loa loa?

In general the diagnosis of L. loa infection should be made with blood smear. However, when blood smears are negative and clinical suspicion of infection is high, the general antibody test could be used in an attempt to exclude infection.

How is Loa loa transmitted?