LYMPHATIC FILARIASIS (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Sci and Tech - Diseases)

Context: The Lao People’s Democratic Republic has recently achieved the remarkable feat of eliminating lymphatic filariasis (LF), a disease that cripples and has significant social and economic impact on the affected communities, as confirmed by the World Health Organization (WHO).

• Lao PDR is now the second country after Bangladesh to eliminate lymphatic filariasis (LF) in 2023. Nineteen countries have been able to eliminate LF,

Lymphatic Filariasis (LF)

• About: The Lymphatic filariasis disease, commonly known as elephantiasis, is a neglected tropical disease.
• Transmission: Infection occurs when filarial parasites are transmitted to humans through mosquitoes.
• Impact on Health: This impairs the lymphatic system and can lead to the abnormal enlargement of body parts, causing pain, severe disability, and social stigma.
• Caused by: Lymphatic filariasis is caused by infection with parasites classified as nematodes (roundworms) of the family Filariodidea.
• Global scenario: It is one of the oldest and most debilitating neglected disease, which is currently endemic in 73 countries of the world, including India.

Types of Filarial Worms

• Wuchereria bancrofti, responsible for 90% of the cases.
• Brugia malayi, which causes most of the remainder of the cases.
• Brugia timori, which also causes the disease.

Lao People’s Democratic Republic

• Laos officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR or LPDR),[e] is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia. 
• It is the heart of the Indochinese Peninsula.
• Bordered by: Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and southwest.
• Capital: Vientiane.