释义 |
elephantiasis noun[ U ] medical specializeduk /ˌel.ɪ.fənˈtaɪ.ə.sɪs/ us /ˌel.ə.fənˈtaɪ.ə.sɪs/ a medical condition in which a body part, especially an arm, a leg, or the scrotum becomes much larger than normal, caused by a worm that blocks vessels that carry lymph: The campaign aimed to eliminate elephantiasis, the grossly disfiguring disease that is the second leading cause of disability worldwide. They used antibiotics to target bacteria in the parasitic worms responsible for elephantiasis and river blindness. The disease often leads to elephantiasis, the massive enlargement of the limbs and genital organs. Filarial nematodes infect more than 200 million people worldwide, causing debilitating inflammatory diseases, such as river blindness and elephantiasis. SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases Swellings & lumps acoustic neuroma actinomycosis adenitis adenoma hyperplastic nodules anasarca bloated dropsy encephalomyelitis enchondroma equine encephalitis fibroid inflamed inflammatory puffy thyroid nodule torus tumescence tumid tumour turgidity |