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Articles on elephantiasis

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Feet of a person with lymphatic filariasis, also known as elephantiasis. WHO

Patients’ beliefs about illness matter: the case of elephantiasis in rural Ghana

In rural Ghana, only 18% of patients believe elephantiasis is a disease. Some others think it is caused by curses or even rain. Only by understanding local beliefs can it be treated effectively.
The swelling affects people’s lives in a multitude of ways. Maggie Steber for The Washington Post via Getty Images

Why it’s hard to end elephantiasis, a debilitating disease spread by mosquitoes

The main sign of the illness is disfiguring swelling followed by peeling of the affected area. In women this swelling mainly affects arms and legs. In men it can cause enlargement of the scrotum.
A father reads to his son while sitting under a mosquito net. Mosquitoes have undergone evolutionary changes due to long-lasting insecticide-treated nets. Georgina Goodwin and Vestergaard Frandsen

Why evolution must be at the centre of fighting parasitic infections

Although there have been global efforts to eliminate parasites, some parasites and vectors will have survived attack because they have evolved resistance.
Tanzanian Seif Ramadhan is washed before being treated for elephantiasis. Khalfan Said/EPA

How 2015 Nobel Prize drug might rid Africa of ancient scourges

The drug that led to two scientists wining the Nobel Prize for Physiology or medicine has made a significant difference for those suffering from elephantiasis and river blindness.

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