Such patients present with a grossly visible intraocular filarial worm on physical exam, usually with pain and photophobia. Associated vision loss at presentation has ranged from 6/24 to light perception. [eyewiki.aao.org]

Higher eosinophil levels (P<0.0001) and filarial antibody levels, whether measured by immunofluorescence (P = 0.047) or ELISA (P<0.0001) were present in the expatriates. [journalofinfection.com]

Abstract We present the case of an asymptomatic Loa loa disease in a 28-year-old Nigerian man living in Italy for 5 years. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

Case Presentation A 25-year-old woman from Sayaya village in Katsina State, northwestern Nigeria, presented to our eye clinic with a three-month history of redness, pain, photophobia, tearing, and itching, and a two-month history of gradual loss of vision [journals.plos.org]

[…] affecting humans and animals, caused by filariae; ie, nematode parasites of the family Filariidae. [1] Filarial parasites can be classified according to the habitat of the adult worms in the vertebral host, as follows (see Pathophysiology, Etiology, and Workup [emedicine.com]

[citation needed] Treatment[edit] Treatment of loiasis involves chemotherapy or, in some cases, surgical removal of adult worms followed by systemic treatment. [en.wikipedia.org]

Prognosis The prognosis in filariasis is good if infection is recognized and treated early. Filarial diseases are rarely fatal, but the consequences of infection can cause significant personal and socioeconomic hardship for those who are affected. [emedicine.com]

• Vitreous Chamber: One case report of L. loa in the vitreous was effectively treated with vitrectomy with steroid cover.[37] Prognosis Visual acuity is generally not affected by the presence of adult worms in the subconjunctiva, and lasting tissue [eyewiki.aao.org]

(See Pathophysiology and Etiology.) [13] As with most helminths, adult filarial parasites replicate in a definitive host. The adult worm burden in an individual cannot increase unless the host is exposed to additional microfilaria. [emedicine.com]

Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Nigeria, and Sudan.[9] GeoSentinel Surveillance Network data indicate that travelers to endemic regions are more likely to contract Loa loa infection if their duration of exposure is greater than one month.[10] Etiology [eyewiki.aao.org]

Kershaw WE (1951) Studies on the epidemiology of filariasis in West Africa, with special reference to the British Cameroons and the Niger delta. 11. [journals.plos.org]

Human Emerging and Re-emerging Infections covers the epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnostics, clinical features, and public health risks posed by new viral and microbial infections. [books.google.es]

Epidemiology and Pathology Loiasis occurs in West and Central Africa, where it may be known as "eyeworm" or "Calabar swellings:" This is a disease of the equatorial rainforest that does not extend east of the Central African lakes ( Fig. 26.31 ). [isradiology.org]

Useful For Suggests clinical disorders or settings where the test may be helpful Detection of microfilariae in peripheral blood Clinical Information Discusses physiology, pathophysiology, and general clinical aspects, as they relate to a laboratory test [mayomedicallaboratories.com]

Pathophysiology The filarial life cycle, like that of all nematodes, consists of 5 developmental (larval) stages in a vertebral host and an arthropod intermediate host and vector. [emedicine.com]

Identifying co-endemic areas for major filarial infections in sub-Saharan Africa: seeking synergies and preventing severe adverse events during mass drug administration campaigns. [eyewiki.aao.org]

Because ivermectin or diethylcarbamazine can cause serious adverse effects in people infected with Loa loa causing loiasis (African eye worm), an endemic disease in a large part of central Africa, the current guidelines for preventive chemotherapy contain [who.int]

He tried using bug spray and nets, but nothing seemed to help prevent these bites. Several months after his missionary trip, when Justin was back home in the U.S., he began to develop swelling around his elbows and other joints in his body. [study.com]

VACCINES No vaccines are currently available for the prevention or treatment of loiasis. [antimicrobe.org]

Consultations The following specialists may be consulted in the management of loiasis: Ophthalmologist Infectious disease specialist Dermatologist Prevention L loa infection and loiasis are prevented by avoiding the bites of daytime biting competent vector [emedicine.medscape.com]