Wuchereria Bancrofti

Red: endemic, Pink: unknown, Green: unaffected



Is a nematode and one source of lymphatic filariasis.Infective larvae are transmitted by infected biting arthropods during a blood meal. The larvae migrate to the appropriate site of the host's body, where they develop into microfilariae-producing adults. The adults dwell in various human tissues where they can live for several years. The agents of lymphatic filariasis reside in lymphatic vessels and lymph nodes.The female worms produce microfilariae which circulate in the blood The microfilariae infect biting arthropods (mosquitoes for the agents of lymphatic filariasis). Inside the arthropod, the microfilariae develop in 1 to 2 weeks into infective filariform (third-stage) larvae. During a subsequent blood meal by the insect, the larvae infect the vertebrate host. They migrate to the appropriate site of the host's body, where they develop into adults. Wuchereria bancrofti is encountered in tropical areas worldwide. W. bancrofti largely affects areas across the broad equatorial belt.