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Wuchereria bancrofti
Epidemiology:
- widely distributed in tropical & subtropical regions of Asia, Africa, South America, Pacific islands & Caribbean. Vectors:
1) Culex mosquitoes
2) Anopheles mosquitoes
3) Aedes mosquitoes Humans are the only definitive host. Two forms distinguished by periodicity of microfilaremia
1) nocturnal form
a) much more common
b) widely distributed
c) microfilaremia at night
2) subperiodic form
a) transmitted in Pacific islands
b) microfilaremia at all times with maximum in afternoon
Pathology:
- causative agent of filariasis
- adult forms found in lymphatics
- microfilaria found in blood
Laboratory:
- light microscopy: organisms have sheaths
- Wuchereria bancrofti antigen
- Wuchereria bancrofti+Brugia malayi antigen [3]
- Wuchereria bancrofti antibody in serum [3]
Related
filariasis (wucheresiasis)
tropical eosinophilia
General
Wuchereria
Properties
KINGDOM: animal
PHYLUM: helminth
References
- Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 14th ed.
Fauci et al (eds), McGraw-Hill Inc. NY, 1998, pg 1212-13
- Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 13th ed.
Isselbacher et al (eds), McGraw-Hill Inc. NY, 1994, pg 920
- Loinc