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Elimination of Tropical Diseases

What Are the 21 Neglected Tropical Diseases?

• Lymphatic filariasis

  Infected via some species of mosquito, it seriously damages the lymphatic system of the infected individual and causes such physical disabilities as lymphedema of the limbs and genitals.

• Chagas’ disease

  Chagas’ disease is an infection transmitted by the blood-sucking “kissing bugs” of the subfamilyTriatominae. It is sometimes called a silent disease since it takes a while to develop visible symptoms after infection, and can also lead to death if untreated.

• Leishmaniasis

  Leishmaniasis is a disease caused by protozoan parasite of the genusLeishmaniaand are transmitted by the bite of a species of sand fly. There are 3 main forms of leishmaniases, cutaneous leishmaniasis, mucocutaneous leishmaniasis, and visceral leishmaniasis. Visceral leishmaniasis may be fatal if untreated.

• Dracunculiasis (Guinea worm disease)

  People are infected with this disease after drinking water containing water fleas called cyclopses that have swallowed larvae of the guinea worm. The area around the infection develops blisters and, when the female worm lays larvae outside the human body, it is accompanied by burning pain.

• African sleeping sickness (Human African trypanosomiasis)

  African sleeping sickness (African trypanosomiasis) is a parasitic disease transmitted by the tsetse fly. When the disease progresses, it causes meningoencephalitis and eventually coma and death, hence referred to as African sleeping sickness.

• Trachoma

  Infected in childhood by flies and other insects in unsanitary conditions, trachoma causes corneal damage after repeated infections over time, and it can lead to blindness.

• Leprosy (Hansen’s Disease)

  Leprosy, also known as Hansen’s disease, is a chronic infection caused byMycobacteriumleprae. The disease mainly affects the skin and peripheral nerves, causing various skin lesions including hypopigmentation.

• Schistosomiasis

  An infectious disease caused by parasitic worms in river/lake water. It is transmitted by fresh water snails as the intermediate host. Once infected, it first causes bloody urine or stool. In later stages, it can cause bladder cancer and cirrhosis of the liver, both of which may be fatal.

• Onchocerciasis

  Onchocerciasis, or river blindness, is an infectious disease caused by the parasitic wormOnchocerca volvulus. It is transmitted through the bite of the black fly. The infection causes intense itching and skin rash. It may cause eye diseases, which may progress to blindness.

• Soil-transmitted helminthiasis

  Infections occur when a person eats food contaminated with helminth eggs or larvae that are infectious. It causes anemia, malnutrition, bowel obstruction and other gastrointestinal symptoms.

• Buruli ulcer

  The route of infection for Buruli ulcer remains undetermined. It causes disfigurements including skin ulcers on the limbs and malformed joints.

• Dengue fever and chikungunya

  When people are infected by the dengue and chikungunya virus (via mosquitoes), symptoms such as fever, joint pain, and headache appear. Dengue fever could develop into dengue hemorrhagic fever, which can be fatal.

• Taeniasis/Cysticercosis

  This is a parasitic tissue infection caused by larvae cysts of the pork tapeworm. After infection, the larvae of the pork tapeworm migrate to various parts of the body, including the muscles, eyes, and brain. Their migration to the brain can be fatal.

• Rabies

  Rabies is a viral disease transmitted to people mainly from dogs infected by the disease. When the infection extends to the brain and spinal cord, it causes seizures and eventual death.

• Echinococcosis

  Humans are infected through ingestion of parasite eggs in contaminated food, water or soil, or after direct contact with animal hosts. It causes hepatomegaly, cutaneous pruritus, and other symptoms. In advanced stages, it can be fatal.

• Food borne trematode infections

  People become infected with food borne trematodes after eating raw or poorly cooked freshwater fish and animal livers that harbor the minute metacercariae of trematode worms such asClonorchisandFasciola. It causes fever and abdominal pain.

• Endemic treponematoses (Yaws)

  Yaws is transmitted through skin-to-skin contact through scrapes or cuts. It affects the skin, bone, and cartilage. Walnut-sized nodules appear on the skin.

• Mycetoma

  Serious inflammatory disease, which slowly and progressively destroys soft tissue, caused by bacteria or fungus entering the subcutaneous tissue through a cut or wound. Left untreated, it can lead to physical disabilities and deformities.

• Scabies

  A parasitic infestation caused bySarcoptes scabiei var hominis, transmitted through person-to-person contact. It leads to intense itch and rash caused by an allergic reaction to mite proteins and feces.

• Snakebite envenoming

  Toxins in the bite of a venomous snake may lead to paralysis that may prevent breathing, making immediate medical attention critical. It may also cause bleeding disorders, kidney failure, or tissue destruction.

• Noma, a disease with high fatality rate, starts as gingivitis which spreads to destroy facial tissues and bones. It primarily affects malnourished young children in regions of extreme poverty.

The London Declaration: A United Front to Eliminate and Eradicate NTDs

• *1
  Abbvie, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eisai, GlaxonSmithKline, Gilead, Johnson & Johnson, Merck (Merck KGaA: Germany), Merck Sharp & Dhome, Novartis, Pfizer, Sanofi
• *2
  Dracunculiasis (guinea worm disease), lymphatic filariasis, trachoma, African sleeping sickness (African trypanosomiasis), leprosy, soil-transmitted helminthiasis, schistosomiasis, Onchocerciasis (river blindness), Chagas’ disease, and leishmaniasis

From London Declaration to Kigali Declaration