Filariasis: Wuchereria & Lymphatic Damage — NEET Biology
✅ Asked in NEET 2021Wuchereria (W. bancrofti and W. malayi), the filarial worms cause a slowly developing chronic inflammation of the organs in which they live for many years, usually the lymphatic vessels of the lower limbs and the disease is called elephantiasis or filariasis. The genital organs are also often affected, resulting in gross deformities. The pathogens are transmitted to a healthy person through the bite by the female mosquito vectors.
NTA tests your understanding of how Wuchereria parasites cause filariasis (elephantiasis) by chronically inflaming lymphatic vessels, particularly in the lower limbs and genital organs. Students often confuse filariasis with other parasitic diseases or forget that the female mosquito is the vector. The key trap: not recognizing that symptoms develop slowly over years due to chronic inflammation, not acute infection. Remember: Wuchereria bancrofti and W. malayi → lymphatic vessels → elephantiasis; transmission occurs via female mosquito bites, not male mosquitoes. This concept appears frequently because it combines parasite identification, vector biology, and disease manifestation—all core NEET topics.
This paragraph was tested 2 times in NEET.
Match List-I with List-II: (NEET 2021) List-I: (a) Filariasis (b) Amoebiasis (c) Pneumonia (d) Ringworm List-II: (i) Haemophilus influenzae (ii) Trichophyton (iii) Wuchereria bancrofti (iv) Entamoeba histolytica Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
In which disease does mosquito-transmitted pathogen cause chronic inflammation of lymphatic vessels? (NEET 2018)
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