Daily Times

KARACHI: Muhammad Ishaq, resident of Karachi’s Rehri Goth, is facing miserable time due to elephantiasis disease for last nine years.

In 2007, Ishaq, 39 years old, was asleep when some insect bit his left leg. “When he got up, he felt severe pain in his leg.”

When I showed it up to a healthcare facility, doctors first thought to cut my leg of. Till now, the swelling is there and it also smells bad.

Elephantiasis or better known as “elephant’s foot” disease has deformed the man’s legsis lymphatic filariasis. Filariasis, which is caused by worms being spread by mosquitoes, afflicts mainly people in Africa and Asia.

Lymphatic filariasis, also known as elephantiasis, is a human disease caused by parasitic worms known as filarial worms. Most cases of the disease have no symptoms. Some people, however, develop a syndrome called elephantiasis, which is marked by severe swelling in the arms, legs, or genitals. The skin may also become thicker, and pain may occur. The changes to the body can cause social and economic problems for the affected person

According to renowned Orthopaedic Surgeon Dr Amjad Gulzar Shaikh elephantiasis is very rare in all over the world including Pakistan.

“In Pakistan, surgery of elephantiasisdoes not exist. However surgery is possible in Europe with forty per cent recovery chances,” Dr Amjad told Daily Times.

Before the disease, Ishaq who is father of three daughters used to work as painter. “Because of my ailment I had to quit my work. My wife who was a housewife had to join a factory where she works as labor.

“I would appeal to the government for the monetary assistance for my treatment of my ailment which is not possible in Pakistan,” Ishaq added.