Elephantiasis Health Article

BOOKS

Ash, Laurence R. Atlas of Human Parasitology. 4th ed. Chicago: ASCP Press, 1997.

Conn's Current Therapy, 1996. Ed. Robert E. Rakel. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders Co., 1996.

Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment, 1996. 35th ed. Ed. Stephen McPhee, et al. Stamford: Appleton & Lange, 1995.

Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. Ed. Anthony S. Fauci, et al. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1997.

Weatherall, D. J. Oxford Textbook of Medicine. 3rd ed. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 1996.

Zatouroff, Michael. Diagnosis in Color: Physical Signs in General Medicine. 2nd ed. London: Mosby-Wolfe, 1996.

PERIODICALS

Bandyopadhyay, Lalita. "Lymphatic Filariasis and the Women of India." Social Science and Medicine 42, no. 10 (May 1996): 1401-1410.

Eberhard, Mark L. "A Survey of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Perceptions (KAPs) of Lymphatic Filariasis, Elephantiasis, and Hydrocele Among Residents in an Endemic Area in Haiti." American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 54, no. 3 (Mar. 1996): 299-303.

Rajan, T. V. "Immunopathogenetic Aspects of Disease Induced by Helminth Parasites." Chemical Immunology 66 (1997): 125-158.

ORGANIZATIONS

National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases, Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. Building 31, Room. 7A-50, 31 Center Drive MSC 2520, Bethesda, MD 20892. <http://www.niaid.nih.gov>.

National Lymphedema Network (NLN). 2211 Post St., Suite 404, San Francisco, CA 94115. (800) 541-3259. <http://www.hooked.net>.

National Organization for Rare Disorders. PO Box 8923, New Fairfield, CT 06812-8923. (800) 999-6673. <http://www.rarediseases.org>.

Collette L. Placek

KEY TERMS

Antigen—Any substance (usually a protein) that causes an immune response by the body to produce antibodies.

Filarial—Threadlike. The word "filament" is formed from the same root word.

Host—A person or animal in which a parasite lives, is nourished, grows, and reproduces.

Lymph—A watery substance that collects in the tissues and organs of the body and eventually drains into the bloodstream.

Lymphatic system—A network composed of vessels, lymph nodes, the tonsils, the thymus gland, and the spleen. It is responsible for transporting fluid and nutrients to the bloodstream and for maturing certain blood cells that are part of the body's immune system.

Lymphedema—The unnatural accumulation of lymph in the tissues of the body, which results in swelling in that area.

Protozoa—(Plural form of protozoan) Single-celled organisms (not bacteria) of which about 30 kinds cause disease in humans.

Streptococcal—Pertaining to any of the Streptococcus bacteria. These organisms can cause pneumonia, skin infections, and many other diseases.