Lymphatic Filariasis
Why in News?
- India initiated a nationwide MDA campaign, under the National Lymphatic Filariasis Elimination Programme, targeting multiple states including Jharkhand's Ranchi district with 619 booths for preventive medication.​
Cause and Transmission
- Caused by thread-like filarial worms (nematodes): Wuchereria bancrofti (90% cases), Brugia malayi, and Brugia timori.​
- Transmitted via mosquitoes (Culex, Mansonia, Anopheles species) that deposit infective larvae into human blood during bites; larvae mature into adults in lymphatic vessels.
- Adult worms live 5-8 years, producing microfilariae that circulate in blood, perpetuating transmission.​
Symptoms and Impact
- Acute: Fever, chills, lymphangitis, and painful swelling (acute attacks) from secondary bacterial infections.​
- Chronic: Lymphedema (swelling of limbs), hydrocele (genital swelling), and elephantiasis from lymphatic damage, fibrosis, and inflammation.
- Causes stigma, disability, economic loss, and poverty; affects over 120 million globally, with India bearing a major burden.
Prevention and Treatment
- Mass Drug Administration (MDA) with drugs like diethylcarbamazine (DEC), albendazole, and ivermectin to kill microfilariae and reduce transmission.​
- Vector control: Mosquito nets, insecticides, and environmental management.​
- Morbidity management: Hygiene, antibiotics for infections, and surgery for hydrocele.​
India's Efforts
- Strategy: Biannual MDA since 2024, targeting endemic districts; 63 districts covered in August 2024 phase across six states.​
- Goal: LF-free India by 2027 via enhanced surveillance, community engagement, and state-central synergy.
- Progress: Significant reduction in cases; aligns with WHO's Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis.​
