Lymphatic Filariasis Responsible For Bauchi Residents’ Swollen Legs – Official

About 15 persons have been infected with a disease called Lymphatic filariasis in Bauchi State. The disease causes swelling of the legs and other parts of the human body.

The Executive Chairman of Bauchi State Primary Health Care Development Agency (BASPHCDA), Dr Rilwanu Mohammed, disclosed this on Monday while speaking on the 2021 World Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) Day.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Lymphatic Filariasis is a tropical parasitic disease spread by infected mosquitoes.

Mohammed said the state had “received reports that people’s feet were swollen in Bara village of Kirfi council area,” resulting to 10 being hospitalised.

Although Mohammed said the disease control department of the agency had been directed to investigate the situation, he noted there were speculations that the infected persons may be suffering from onchocerciasis.

“We are suspecting onchocerciasis or lymphatic filariasis considering that the area is one of the LGAs that have the cases of those tropical diseases. As soon as we get the results of the investigation, we will take prompt action to curb it”.

What Are Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD)?

According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), NTDs are viral, parasitic and bacterial viruses that mainly affect the world’s poorest people especially in areas where people have little or no access to clean water or safe ways to dispose of human waste.

There are 13 of such diseases covered by the World Health Organization (WHO) Department of NTDs including:

Buruli ulcer, Chagas disease, cholera, dengue fever (including dengue haemorrhagic fever), human African trypanosomiasis, leishmaniasis, leprosy, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis, trachoma, dracunculiasis, soil-transmitted helminths and lymphatic filariasis.

The last six of the NTDs can be controlled or even eliminated through mass administration of safe and effective medicines or other effective interventions.

However, studies have shown that an aggregated measure of 11 of the 13 NTDs (omitting cholera and dengue fever) rank sixth among the 10 leading causes of disability-adjusted life years, ahead of malaria and tuberculosis.

The Executive Chairman, BASPHCDA, said the state has Onchocerciasis in 12 LGAs; Lymphatic filariasis in 11 LGAs; Scihistomiasis in 16 LGAs and Trachoma in 2 LGAs