Lymphatic disease hits Malawi

Malawi has been hit by lymphatic filariasis disease whose symptoms include inflammation of limbs and private parts, but health officials say there is no cause for panic since the disease has not yet reached the proportions to be described as an outbreak.

One of the districts hit include the country's commercial capital of Blantyre where health experts are monitoring it closely and implementing preventative measures in areas where people are at risk.

The principal secretary in the Ministry of Health, Chris Kang'ombe, say the country is on high alert and health personnel were currently administering preventive medication to people in some eight districts of the country that were at high risk of being infected by lymphatic diseases which he said is caused by mosquitoes.

Kang'ombe said that the disease was not strange, only that it was mostly neglected in most tropical regions. He said a mosquito bite containing viral particles is injected into the human body system leading to inflammation of limbs or private parts.

The government official also disclosed that his ministry was also providing drugs to communities that had been hit by yet another lymphatic disease, onchocerciasis, transmitted through black flies and was recognised initially by signs of body itches and rashes on the skin.

"So we are providing drugs to communities at risk so that people don't suffer from the full-blown diseases," he said.

He said health officers were providing advice for dealing with the Diseases, including minor operations on inflammations of the private parts.

"For those with inflamed limbs such as legs we give advice so that people can manage the diseases from home," he said, explaining that the treatment was, however, not given to children under the age of five and pregnant women.