Definition

Filiariasis is the name for a group of tropical diseases
caused by various thread-like parasitic round
worms (nematodes) and their larvae. The larvae transmit
the disease to humans through a mosquito bite. Filariasis
is characterized by fever, chills, headache, and skin
lesions in the early stages and, if untreated, can progress
to include gross enlargement of the limbs and genitalia in
a condition called elephantiasis.

Description

Approximately 170 million people in the tropical and
subtropical areas of southeast Asia, South America, Africa,
and the islands of the Pacific are affected by this debilitating
parasitic disease. While filariasis is rarely fatal, it is the
second leading cause of permanent and long-term disability
in the world. The World Health Organization (WHO)
has named filariasis one of only six