'End in sight' for elephantiasis (BBC) {some good news for a change!}

[eppur_se_muova]

A painful and disfiguring disease affecting more than 100 million people worldwide could be wiped out by 2020, say experts.

Lymphatic filariasis (LF), often called elephantiasis, is caused by parasitic worms and causes grotesque swelling of the limbs, breasts and genitals.
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Pharmaceutical firms have offered drugs free, keeping costs minimal.
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The project, masterminded by the Global Programme to Eliminate LF, has so far prevented an estimated 6.6 million children from catching the condition, and stopped it from progressing in another 9.5 million people who already have it.

It is thought to be the most rapidly expanding drug administration programme in public health history.
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more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7659222.stm

[HereSince1628]

1. Putting Wuchereria on the endangered species list.

There is a deal.

[kestrel91316]

2. Everybody likes to badmouth Merck, but they invented the drug

(and donated vast amounts of it) that is wiping this scourge out. They embarked on this huge mission twenty years ago.

[Xenotime]

3. Damn. I thought this was a post about the end of the GOP

[eppur_se_muova]

4. It's a drug for killing parasitic worms--- worth a try! :D nt

[Tumbulu]

5. What a wonderful thing to read before going to sleep

Yeah and thanks to all who worked on this!

[HamdenRice]

6. I met lots of people with this disease in 1981 in Liberia

Truly one of the most horrifying things you could imagine seeing. Yet these people had to go on with their lives, farming and doing other activities.

I wonder what happened to one young man in particular who was only about 18 with a very bad case in his ankles.

As I understand it, even if it can be prevented, anyone who gets it can never go back to being normal.