Loa loa filariasis

This article is about the disease. For the parasite, see Loa loa.
"Eye worm" redirects here. For another parasitic nematode known as "eye worm", see Thelazia.
Loa loa filariasis
Other namesloiasis, loaiasis, Calabar swellings, fugitive swelling, tropical swelling,[1]: 439  African eyeworm
Loa loa microfilaria in thin blood smear (Giemsa stain)
SpecialtyInfectious diseases, tropical medicine Edit this on Wikidata

Loa loa filariasis, (Loiasis) is a skin and eye disease caused by the nematode worm Loa loa. Humans contract this disease through the bite of a deer fly (Chrysops spp.) or mango fly, the vectors for Loa loa. The adult Loa loa filarial worm can reach from three to seven centimetres long and migrates throughout the subcutaneous tissues of humans, occasionally crossing into subconjunctival tissues of the eye where it can be easily observed.[2] Loa loa does not normally affect vision but can be painful when moving about the eyeball or across the bridge of the nose.[3][4] Loiasis can cause red itchy swellings below the skin called "Calabar swellings". The disease is treated with the drug diethylcarbamazine (DEC), and when appropriate, surgical methods may be employed to remove adult worms from the conjunctiva. Loiasis belongs to the group of neglected tropical diseases, and there is a call for it to be included in the high priority listing.[2]

  1. ^ James, William D.; Berger, Timothy G. (2006). Andrews' Diseases of the Skin: clinical Dermatology. Saunders Elsevier. ISBN 978-0-7216-2921-6.
  2. ^ a b Jacobsen, KH; Andress, BC; Bhagwat, EA; Bryant, CA; Chandrapu, VR; Desmonts, CG; Matthews, TM; Ogunkoya, A; Wheeler, TJ; Williams, AS (October 2022). "A call for loiasis to be added to the WHO list of neglected tropical diseases". The Lancet. Infectious Diseases. 22 (10): e299–e302. doi:10.1016/S1473-3099(22)00064-0. PMID 35500592.
  3. ^ Osuntokun O, Olurin O (March 1975). "Filarial worm (Loa loa) in the anterior chamber. Report of two cases". Br J Ophthalmol. 59 (3): 166–67. doi:10.1136/bjo.59.3.166. PMC 1017374. PMID 1131358.
  4. ^ John, David T. and William A. Petri, Jr. Markell and Voge's Medical Parasitology. 9th ed. 2006.