Elephant Feet Disease, Characteristics and Ways to Prevent It from being Cautioned

Elephant foot disease or other things called lymphatic filariasis is a disease that still occurs in several regions in Indonesia. Elephant feet are a disease caused by filarial worms and are then transmitted by mosquito bites as a vector. Elephant foot disease attacks the lymphatic system, causing the affected organs to swell.

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Elephant Feet Disease, Characteristics and Ways to Prevent It from being Cautioned

Mahartika Loudia Loudia Mahartika

07 Mar 2019, 10:50 WIB

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Elephantiasis

Elephant legs, a disease caused by filaria worms and transmitted by mosquito bites (Photo: who.int)

Liputan6.com, Jakarta Elephantiasis or other types of lymphatic filariasis is a disease that still occurs in several regions in Indonesia. Elephant feet are a disease caused by filarial worms and are then transmitted by mosquito bites as a vector. Elephant foot disease attacks the lymphatic system, causing the affected organs to swell.

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Swelling that is common in Indonesia is in the legs. Although actually this disease can attack other body parts. Like the arms, genitals and breasts, but generally attacks the legs.

Elephant foot disease itself has chronic or chronic properties. If not treated quickly, elephantiasis disease can turn into a permanent or disability for life.

Elephant foot disease in the world

The World Health Organization or WHO says that elephant foot disease is a tropical disease that is often ignored. Elephant foot disease that is often ignored by secretly attacking someone who can result in paralysis.

Not only suffer paralysis, victims will suffer mental, social, and material losses which will cause poverty problems.

Countries that need intensive care with chemotherapy, for example, such as Angola, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Tanzania, India, Myanmar, Indonesia and others.

Symptoms and characteristics of elephantiasis

Elephant foot disease that attacks the lymphatic system where the lymphatic system is an immune system in humans that helps protect the body from various diseases. In the lymphatic system there is a network of lymph vessels.

According to WHO there are three types of filarial worms that can cause elephantiasis. The worm is Wuchereria bancrofti where 90% of cases are caused by this worm. Then Brugia malayi and Brugia timori which only attack a little in humans.

Reported by Liputan6.com, Thursday (03/07/2019) from various sources there are several characteristics of elephantiasis that can be identified. The characteristics are as follows:

1. Have fever in a row for about 3 to 5 days. With a pause of several days, the fever will go down then the fever will strike again after strenuous activity.

2. Swelling of the lymph nodes appears in the groin area, the armpits appear red, hot and painful.

3. Inflammation of lymph node channels. This inflammation will cause a feeling of heat and pain that radiates from the base of the foot to the tip of the foot.

4. Inflict enlargement in the legs which looks more reddish and feels hot.

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Stages of elephantiasis

In people infected with filarial worms, the person will go through phases when elephantiasis is in his body. The phase includes:

1. Stage I

There is swelling in the body but only a day later returns to normal without any folds.

2. Stage II

Swelling appears again but will disappear again like stadium I.

3. Stage III

Permanent swelling will appear. Thin folds look but still normal.

4. Stage IV

The persistent swelling will cause a fold on the skin that begins with the appearance of a lump on the surface of the skin.

5. Stage V

In this phase the swelling will continue to settle and develop until it enlarges. Deep folds appear on the skin like a lump.

6. Stage VI

Swollen skin folds will increase even the legs can look like chapped and mossy.

7. Stage VII

The large, cracked swelling makes elephantiasis sufferers unable to carry out their normal activities.

How to prevent elephantiasis

Indonesia is a tropical country so elephant foot disease can strike at any time. Director of Prevention and Control of Vector and Zoontic Diseases from the Indonesian Ministry of Health, dr. Elizabeth Jane Soepardi explained that the small worm that causes elephantiasis is transmitted through mosquito bites, he said at the Ministry of Health office on Tuesday (09/25/2018).

He added that Indonesia is still an endemic area of ​​filariasis and only a few regions are free of worms that cause elephantiasis. DKI Jakarta has been free from filaria worms, but the surrounding area still exists such as Bekasi and Depok.

Some areas outside Java are also still endemic areas of filariasis, which have the potential to cause victims of elephantiasis. To prevent contracting elephantiasis, usually health workers will give a drug called diethylcarbamazine (DEC) and eradicate mosquitoes to break the chain of causes of elephantiasis disease.

In addition to taking the drug, there are other ways to prevent elephantiasis. Namely with foot care. Especially for those who live in paddy fields, swamps, rivers or other waterways.

Do not let the wound or skin open on the foot. This is to make filaria worms difficult to enter the body or through open wounds. If you have open wounds on your feet, they are treated immediately or try to reduce outdoor activities, especially at night.