
Elephantiasis can be treated with a low-priced antibiotic, according to scientists.It causes severe swelling in the limbs or scrotum.
A team of scientists at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine found that doxycycline gave some relief to patients in the advanced stages of the disease. In addition, the antibiotic killed the causative worms.
Lymphatic Filariasis (LF) affects nearly 120 million people, usually, in the tropical countries. The society keeps away from people affected by LF.
Doxycycline was used to treat LF in 51 patients in Ghana. The antibiotic not only killed the worm but also provided relief from symptoms.
Dr. Mark Taylor, from Liverpool, said, "The important breakthrough with this trial is to show that in addition to the anti-parasitic effects of antibiotic treatment, we can also improve the lives of individuals suffering from the stigmatizing elephantiasis."
Source: Medindia
GYT