educational material

1. Wuchereria bancrofti
Mosab Nouraldein

2. • W.bancrofti is the major cause of lymphatic filariasis

3. G.D
• Central Africa area and , Nile delta , South and central
America and tropical regions of Asia.

4. History
• Greek is the first nation known bancroftian filariasis , named it elephantiasis.
• Otto Wucherer and Joseph Bancrofti studied this type of lymphatic filariasis
extensively , then named Wuchereria bancrofti.

5. Life cycle
• Indirect life cycle
• Definitive host: human
• Intermediate host : mosquitoes of the genus Culex , Anopheles, Mansonia
and Aedes.

7. • The worm mature within 6-8 months.
• After mating , female release microfilariae , at night (
nocturnal periodicity)

8. Pathology
• Asymptomatic phase.
• Acute Inflammatory phase
• Chronic inflammatory phase (obstruction): obstruction of
lymphatic vessels,
Lymph varices , chyluria, elephantiasis

9. Elephantiasis

10. Elephantiasis

11. Occult filariasis
• Occult bancroftian filariasis denotes infection in which
microfilariae are not observed in the blood, although they
may be found in other body fluids, tissues, or both.

12. • The occult syndromes include filarial arthritis, filarial
breast abscess, and filarial-associated immune complex
glomerulonephritis.

13. Diagnosis
• Examination of blood smear
• Serological test (e.g. ELISA).
• PCR
• Microfilariae can be detected in urine in case of chyluria.

14. Microfilariae

15. control
• Early diagnosis
• Early treatment to the patients
• Vector control
• Health education