Loiasis Health Dictionary

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Loiasis: From 3 Different Sources

A form of the tropical parasitic disease filariasis, which is caused by an infestation by the worm LOA LOA. The worms travel beneath the skin, producing itchy areas of inflammation known as Calabar swellings, and can sometimes be seen moving across the front of the eye. Loiasis is treated with a course of diethylcarbamazine.
Health Source: BMA Medical Dictionary
Author: The British Medical Association
Loiasis is the disease caused by the ?larial worm Loa loa, a thread-like worm which di?ers from

W. bancrofti in that it is shorter and thicker, and is found in the bloodstream during the day, not at night. It is transmitted by the mango ?y, Chrysops dimidiata, but other ?ies of this genus can also transmit it. It is con?ned to West and Central Africa. The characteristic feature of the disease is the appearance of fugitive swellings which may arise anywhere in the body in the course of the worm’s migration through it: these are known as Calabar swellings. The worm is often found in the eye, hence the old name of the worm in Africa – the eye worm. Diethylcarbamazine is the treatment for this form of FILARIASIS.

Health Source: Medical Dictionary
Author: Health Dictionary
n. a disease, occurring in West and Central Africa, caused by the eye worm *Loa loa. The adult worms live and migrate within the skin tissues, causing the appearance of transitory calabar swellings. These are probably an allergic reaction to the worms’ waste products, and they sometimes lead to fever and itching. Worms often migrate across the eyeball just beneath the conjunctiva, where they cause irritation and congestion. Loiasis is treated with *diethylcarbamazine, which kills both the adults and larval forms.
Health Source: Oxford | Concise Colour Medical Dictionary
Author: Jonathan Law, Elizabeth Martin

Loa

See LOIASIS.... loa

Loa Loa

Filarial nematodes transmitted by the horse fly (Chrysops) in west central Africa. Causes loiasis, characterised by fugitive, subcutaneous (Calabar) swellings.... loa loa

Tabanid

A family of biting flies commonly called horseflies or deerflies (genus Tabanus), sometimes vectors of loiasis.... tabanid

Filariasis

A group of tropical diseases, caused by various parasitic worms or their larvae, which are transmitted to humans by insect bites.

Some species of worm live in the lymphatic vessels. Swollen lymph nodes and recurring fever are early symptoms. Inflammation of lymph vessels results in localized oedema. Following repeated infections, the affected area, commonly a limb or the scrotum, becomes very enlarged and the skin becomes thick, coarse, and fissured, leading to a condition known as elephantiasis. The larvae of another type of worm invade the eye, causing blindness (see onchocerciasis). A third type, which may sometimes be seen and felt moving beneath the skin, causes loiasis, characterized by irritating and sometimes painful areas of oedema called calabar swellings.

The diagnosis of filariasis is confirmed by microscopic examination of the blood. The anthelmintic drugs diethylcarbamazine or ivermectin most often cure the infection but may cause side effects such as fever, sickness, muscle pains, and increased itching. Diethylcarbamazine can be given preventively, and the use of insecticides and protective clothing help to protect against insect bites. (See also roundworms; insects and disease.)... filariasis

Chrysops

n. a genus of bloodsucking flies, commonly called deer flies. Female flies, found in shady wooded areas, bite humans during the day. Certain species in Africa may transmit the tropical disease *loiasis to humans. In the USA C. discalis is a vector of *tularaemia.... chrysops

Diethylcarbamazine

n. an anthelmintic drug that destroys filariae and is therefore used in the treatment of filariasis and loiasis. Side-effects may include headache, malaise, joint pains, nausea, and vomiting.... diethylcarbamazine

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