Online edition of Sunday Observer

Filariasis

Today is Filariasis Day. According to Health Ministry sources 3 out of every 1000 persons in Colombo and the coastal areas are affected by Filariasis. The Health Ministry has been implementing a one day treatment strategy to eradicate filariasis since October 1999. This entails mass administration of DEC (Hetrazan) tablets to all persons above the age of 2 years. The public is advised to cooperate when Health workers visit your homes today to give you the required dosage of DEC.

Like malaria and dengue, filaria is transmitted by a mosquito, whose breeding sites are largely man-made. The only way to prevent filaria is by eliminating these breeding sites.

Filariasis is a mosquito transmitted disease confined to the Western, Southwestern and the Southern coastal belt of the island with a few pockets inland. Man is primarily responsible for the high prevalence of this disease because the mosquito transmitting the infection breeds exclusively in man made sites such as catch pits, cesspools, blocked drains, etc. Rapid uncontrolled urbanisation without concurrent improvement in sanitation and waste disposal is a contributing factor.

The causative organism is a thin thread like worm, called Wuchereria brancofti, the young ones (larvae) of which are transmitted by the mosquitoes. The adult worms live in tiny channels in the body, called lymph vessels. The female lays larvae, which circulate in the blood stream.

When the mosquito bites and sucks blood from a patient the larvae, which usually enter the blood at night, are conveyed into the body of the mosquito, and there develop into an infective stage. When an infected mosquito sucks the blood later, these larvae make their way into the body of the person. These travel to the lymph vessels and row into adult worms.

Many of those who get the infection may not show any symptoms. Some may develop fever with chills or recurrent swelling, usually in the limbs or scrotum; this is called lymphangitis. In fair skinned persons red streaks may be visible in the affected area. These episodes disappear after sometime even without treatment. In the later stage of the illness, the patients may get swellings of the arms and legs, which usually persist.

Very rarely, in poorly treated or untreated patients, the legs may become so swollen that they resemble the legs of an elephant, and it is then called Elephantiasis. When the larvae travel into the lungs, they cause cough and wheezing, as in asthma. This is called Tropical Pulmonary Eosinophilia or Eosinophilic Bronchitis as the eosinophils (a type of white blood cells - are very much increased in this condition).

The disease is confirmed by a microscopic examination of a few drops of blood taken at night. In areas where the disease is marked, the national Filariasis Control Program provides facilities for this blood investigation. Other more sophisticated tests are nuclepore filtration test and the filariasis antibody test (FAT).

Treatment is with the drug diethyl carbamazine (brand names: Hetrazan, banocide). Side effects such as fever, nausea and vomiting may occur in the first 2 or 3 days of treatment. It is preferable to take the drug soon after meals in order to reduce these side affects. Drug treatment has little effect on Elephantiasis; the current theory is that secondary bacterial and fungal infections aggravate this condition; therefore, a doctor may prescribe antibiotic or antifungal treatment. Keeping the affected area clean and dry would prevent or minimise it. If these measures fail, surgery is indicated for Elephantiasis.

Breeding of the filariasis transmitting mosquito could be controlled by keeping drains and gutters clean and flowing. Converting bucket latrines into water seal ones would eliminate catch pits. The Anti Filariasis Campaign has a program of spraying blocked drains and catch pits with an insecticide (such as Baytex) to control mosquito breeding. All co-operation and assistance should be given to these workers. Treatment of all confirmed cases reduces the reservoir of infection. At community level, efforts should be taken to improve sanitation and waste disposal. WHO now recommends mass treatment at community level as a long-term preventive measure; the recommendation is one-day once yearly treatment for 5-7 years with invermectin (200 ug per kg body weight) together with either diethyclabamazine (6 mg per kg of body weight) or albendazolel (400 mg).

If you suffer from the following symptoms see a doctor

- Red spots
- Feverishness
- Localised swellings which subside spontaneously
- Itching
- Muscle pain
- Passing whitish urine
- Swelling of arms, legs and scrotum.

Minister of Power and Energy, Karu Jayasuriya recently opened the new Cancer Care Centre at Kudaluwella, Hanwella recently.

The building which can accommodate about 50 terminally ill cancer patients is the brainchild of the Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisation (SSSSO) of Sri Lanka, an organisation which has rendered an excellent service by disseminating spiritual education to the people irrespective of caste, creed and religion.

In addition to the two wards that houses 50 cancer patients, a shrine room called "Sarva Dhrama Shrine" with separate facilities has been set up. This shrine room caters to the needs of different religious denominations under one roof.

Speaking on the occasion, Sri Ryuko Hira, Chairman of the SSSSO (East Asia and Pacific) said that he was extremely grateful to the organisers and especially to philanthropist J.S. Senarath who donated 3 acre valuable land at Hanwella to construct the Cancer Care Centre.The Sai Publication National Co-ordinator, Mashesa Mallawaarchchi also spoke on the subject of Sai publications stressing the importance of reading Sai literature as a from of therepy.

Heart disease is the UK's number one killer - and one of the main causes is clogged arteries. Johnathon Briggs the author of a new book Clean your arteries - it could save your life has identified how clogged arteries can cause: * chest pain, * dizzines, * shortness of breath, * high blood pressure, * tired and painful legs, * high cholesterol, * poor circulation, * poor balance and ringing in the ears.

If you have any of those symptoms you could be at risk - Mr. briggs now believes it is possible to reverse the damage already done using a very simple method and by following his method, not only will it clean your arteries, it could even save your life.

His new method along with hundreds of other tips and secrets that can help clean arteries are found in his remarkable new book 'Clean your arteries - it could sare your life'.

* The "power vitamins" that may protect you against heart disease
* The hidden dangers of some popular "health foods"
* The "organic" foods that could help you lose weight
* The "myth" of a low-fat diet
* A simple trick to prevent stress and anxiety.

The use of any oral contraceptive significantly raises the likelihood of a first myocardial infarction, according to a nationwide study from the Netherlands. The results of the study also suggest, although inconclusively, that women who use third-generation pills (those containing the progrestogen gestodene or desogestrel) are less likely to have a heart attack than those using pills containing the second-generation drug levonogestrel, and that the use of third-generation pills is not associated with the risk of heart attack.

The investigation aimed to address a flaw that existed in most similar published studies, by recruiting sufficient numbers of women using second - or third-generation pills so that effects on the risk of myocardial infarction could be compared. The analysis also included the use of first-generation pills (those containing the progrestogens lynestrenol or norethindrone).

Summers free of red-eye, sneezing misery could be on the horizon after a break-through in finding the causes of hay fever.

The findings, from a team led by Dr. Brian Sutton at King's College London, could be good news for Britain's 12 million hay fever sufferers, as well as asthmatics and people with serious allergies to pollen, insect stings or certain foods. Current treatments only try to alleviate the symptoms of the body's allergic response.

Hay fever and other allergic reactions are caused by an agent of the immune system, the antibody molecule immunoglobulin E (IgE). When exposed to an allergy trigger such as pollen, the IgE protein binds to histamine-containing white blood cells, called mast cells causing them to release histamine and other substances that promote inflammation. The result is red, itching eyes, sneezing and a runny nose.

Researchers found that the part of the IgE molecule that fastens on to the mast cell is normally bent sharply back on itself. To form a strong bond with the cell, it has to unfold. Writing in the journal Nature Immunology, the scientists said it might be possible, using a drug, to lock" the IgE molecule into its folded position. It would then not be able to interact with the mast cell. - The Independent -

Baby-walkers delay development of crawling, standing and walking and should be discouraged, says a leading physiotherapist. A study of 190 families found that wheeled seats, which allow babies to move around unaided, discourage infants from striking out on their own.

Dr. Marry Garret, director, University College Dublin's School of Physiotherapy, said that every 24 hours spent in a baby-walker delayed walking and standing alone by up to four days. She reports: "It could be simply that their legs are not strong enough because they are not putting enough weight on them. "Our message to parents would be to stay clear of them."

* Pain in the buttocks * pain in your lower back
* Pain shooting down one or both legs
* Numbness in your legs or feet are likely to suffer from Sciatica.