Who: walking barefoot makes the people of Uganda in the people-elephants
Researchers from the world health organization found that residents of the Republic of Uganda — States in East Africa are suffering from elephant disease because of lack of hygiene.
The results of their work, scientists reported in the American journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. A summary article can be found on the website EurekAlert!
Elephant disease, or lymphatic filariasis, is a tropical disease. According to who estimates, today it’s infected more than 120 million people worldwide and about 40 million of them were disabled.
Basically infection occurs when the roundworm of the family Filarioidea enters the human body through a mosquito bite.
Symptoms — painful and disfiguring. Increase the infected part of the body (usually a limb or the scrotum) due to overgrowth of the skin and subcutaneous tissue, which is lymphatic congestion and edema.
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17 tips for foot health
In 2014 in the Western region of the Republic of Uganda, an outbreak of elephantiasis. The victims had all the symptoms of elephantiasis, but the agents of the disease is not found. Doctors have found that this form of elephantiasis arose because of cases regularly go barefoot in volcanic soil containing small and sharp mineral crystals, which penetrated into the foot. Under the skin the crystals gave rise to constant inflammation, which could increase scar tissue, which eventually block the lymphatic vessels.
History of the disease 52 dead from elephantiasis Africans have shown that people suffering from non-infectious form of elephantiasis, many years — even before symptoms become apparent. According to lead author of the article, people for decades have not made a serious attempt treatment, although he experienced itching and pain in the legs, but treated it as a minor problem.
Many of those infected in surveys reported that they usually engaged in farming barefoot. To avoid elephantiasis, doctors advise to inhabitants of Africa to wear shoes and to wash his feet.