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This is a story of boy meet worm.
The boy, Gerard, a 25-year old male from Legazpi City, Albay
grew up believing that illnesses were attributed
to evil spirits and witchcraft
until the day that he was proven otherwise.
This belief stemmed from his early exposure
to superstitions and quack doctors.
The worm, Wuchereria bancrofti
did not support this belief.
Since its development
in its vector mosquito, Aedes poicilius
it only cared about two things.
The first is its need to find a human host.
The second is to infect its unsuspecting victim.
Gerard meets Wuchereria bancrofti
a few days after his 16th birthday.
This is a story of boy meets worm.
but you should know upfront
this is definitely not a love story.
Lymphatic filariasis, which is caused by Wuchereria bancrofti
is endemic is tropical countries such as the Philippines.
In our country, numerous cases have been reported
in 43 provinces, including
Southern Leyte
Biliran
Bukidnon
Romblon
Agusan del Sur
Dinagat Islands
Cotabato Province
Quezon
Compostela Valley
and Bicol Region.
Uy! Guys, sali ako!
Sige na. Dali sali na ko!
Pff. Naglalaro pa kami.
Eh ayan, tapos na kayo. Laro na tayo!
Fine, sige, anong gusto mong laruin?
Taguan!
Ayos. Tara, maiba taya na!
Maiba, taya!
Hay nako, ako nanaman ang taya.
Isa! Dalawa!
Tatlo!
Apat!
Lima!
Mukhang malamok dito ah.
Andami ko nang kagat. Grr.
Nay!
Nakauwi na po ako.
Mano po.
Hala, anak, ano yang mga kagat-kagat na yan?
Andami pong lamok kanina sa playground
kanina pa po ako nangangati.
O, hugasan mo yan dun sa CR.
Most days of the next 9 years
are unremarkable.
They begin, and they end,
with no lasting memories made in between.
Most days during this period
have no impact on the course of a life.
June 26 was a Wednesday.
Nanay, may problema ho ata ako
sumasakit po kasi yun ano ko.
Ano ba yan, iho?
Yung ano ko po masakit eh.
Ha! Anong masakit?
Nagising po ako kanina tapos mabigat po.
Ano ba naman kasing pinagagagawa mong bata ka?
O sya, tara, ipatingin natin yan sa albularyo.
Okay po, nay.
Tara na. Sigurado akong magagamot yan sa hilot.
*chanting*
Aling Ising?
Magpapatingin ho sana ang anak ko.
Anong problema?
Lumaki ho kasi yung ano niya eh.
Naisip ko ho na baka na-nuno po siya.
Ah sige. Alam kong gamot diyan.
Wag kang gagalaw,
babasbasan kita ng mga dahon ko.
*chanting*
Ayan. Siguradong gagaling ka na sa loob ng dalawang araw
basta wala ka nang ibang ispiritung maiistorbo.
Salamat po, Aling Ising.
Hay. OA umakyat ng hagdan pag malaki ang ano mo.
Ang hirap!
Sobrang uncomfortable maglakad, ano ba yan.
Sana walang pumasin sa kin.
Uy pare! Mukhang hirap kang maglakad ah.
Ba't lumobo yang ano mo? Ang laki ng ano mo!
Ha? Eh..
Ayos yan! High five!
..NOT. De, joke lang! High five ulit!
Sa totoo lang guys, uncomfortable nga eh.
Eh ano *** nangyari diyan? Delikado yang lumaki ng ganyan.
Nagpatingin na ko sa albularyo nung isang araw.
Bakit hindi mo kaya ipatingin sa doktor? Gusto mo samahan pa kita eh.
Mr. Gerard?
Lumaki daw bigla ang ano mo?
Opo, doc. Nagising ako nung isang araw
na parang namamaga na lang.
O sige, check natin. Higa ka muna.
Ahhhh. Ang sakit gumalaw!
Kailan mo pa ito naramdaman?
Nung isang araw lang po. Sabi po ni nanay,
ipatingin namin sa albularyo.
Binasbasan na po ako ng mga dahon ng bayabas.
Ah ganun ba? Check lang natin ang ano mo ha.
Hm.
Ganito, magoorder ako ng labtests para maconfirm yan.
Sa ngayon, di ko pa masabi kung anong meron ka.
Sige po, doc.
Doc?
Eto na po results ni Mr. Gerard.
Salamat, nurse.
Mr. Gerard. Eto results ng labtests mo.
Lumalabas na ang paglaki ng ano mo
ay dahil sa lymphatic filariasis.
Nabanggit mo sa akin noon na
maraming lamok sa lugar ninyo.
Opo, madalas po akong makagat ng lamok sa amin simula pagkabata.
Pwede mo kasi yung makuha sa mga kagat ng lamok.
Panoorin mo itong video.
During a blood meal, an infected mosquito
introduces third-stage filarial larvae onto the skin of the human host
where they penetrate into the bite wound.
They develop into adults that commonly reside in the lymphatics.
Adults worm produce microfilariae, which have nocturnal periodicity
around 8 in the evening to 4 in the morning.
The microfilariae migrate into lymph and blood channels
moving actively through lymph and blood.
A mosquito ingests the microfilariae during a blood meal.
After ingestion, the microfilariae work their way
through the thoracic muscles.
There the microfilariae develop into first-stage larvae
and subsequently into third-stage infected larvae.
The third-stage larvae migrate through the head of the mosquito
and can infect another human when the mosquito takes a blood meal
and this will repeat the cycle.
Doc, may pag-asa pa po ba akong gumaling?
Oo, naman. May irereseta ako sa iyong gamot para dyan.
Ito yung Diethylcarbamazine citrate o yung tinatawag na DEC.
Kailangan mo rin mag-undergo ng surgery.
Ganun po ba? Sige po. Paano ba ito naiiwasan ?
Heto ang tips para sa prevention ng sakit na ito:
practice of local hygiene in affected areas,
increasing awareness through health education campaigns,
"November as Filariasis Mass Treatment Month" or the mass annual treatment of DEC and Albendazole
by the Department of Health (DOH) to those living in endemic areas.
Maraming salamat po ulit sa tulong niyo, doc!
IIf Gerard had learned anything,
it was that you can't put too much stock in superstition.
Gerard had finally learned this the hard way.
He knew.
He was sure of it now.
Gerard was... he was getting better.