Wuchereria bancrofti

Wuchereria bancrofti

Wuchereria bancrofti is a representative of the nematode, which lives parasitically in the lymphatic vessels of man. Was named the animal after the German -Brazilian physician Otto usurers and the British- Australian physician and scientist Joseph Bancroft. It causes inflammation of the lymphatic vessels and lymph nodes.

Dissemination

They are mainly used in China, America, Asia, Africa and the Pacific. You get there before in the tropical regions.

Features

The female reaches a length of up to 10 cm. But Its thickness amounts to only up to 0.3 millimeter.

Life cycle

Are transferring the worms by mosquitoes, especially the mosquitoes of the genera Culex, Anopheles and Aedes. The larvae are injected into the bite wound of the animals or migrate actively into the wound and then rinsed mostly passive in the capillaries of the lymphatic vessels. The adult worms can live for several years in the lymphatic system and their females produce in this vast quantity of new worm larvae, Mikrofilariae. The larvae occur mainly at night into the peripheral blood via the intermediate host from where they can infect ( the mosquito ) again.

Harmful effect

Mild curves only lead to recurrent lymphadenitis and lymphangitis. Severe cases develop into Filariasis, known as Elephantiasis tropica. It is a monstrous lymphedema, which is caused by blockage of the peripheral lymphatic vessels caused by developing larvae in the vessel lumen. A visible sign of this disease are extreme proliferations of the connective tissue in the arms and legs. Genitals and breasts Acute symptoms until up to 16 months after infection, but these take days to weeks to. This leads to swelling described, this form but generally back again, only in severe forms of these remain.

Swell

• H. Mehlhorn, G. Piekarski, floor plan of the parasites customer, Heidelberg, 6th edition, 2002.

• Nematodes
• Human parasite
• Nematoda