Wenchi (Bono), March 1, – More than 300 people in the Wenchi Municipality of the Bono Region have tested positive for elephantiasis following a large-scale screening exercise, Dr Vera Serwaa Opoku, a postdoctoral fellow at the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research (KCCR), has disclosed.
Out of 4,954 individuals screened during a six-month clinical exercise in 2025, 328 were confirmed to be infected. Dr Opoku said the affected persons had already been placed on medication, noting that treatment would span approximately two years from the commencement of drug administration.
She made this known in an interview on the sidelines of a meeting organised by the Wenchi Municipal Directorate of Health in Wenchi.
Dr Opoku urged residents to intensify efforts to prevent mosquito bites, emphasising environmental sanitation measures such as clearing weeds around homes and desilting choked gutters. She explained that infected mosquitoes transmit elephantiasis to humans through bites.
She further advised residents to observe personal hygiene and sleep under insecticide-treated mosquito nets, particularly because the vectors are most active during the evening and early morning hours.
According to her, the mosquitoes responsible for transmitting the disease breed around stagnant water bodies, open drains, bushy areas and waterways. She encouraged individuals who notice unusual bodily swelling or abnormalities to seek prompt medical attention at the nearest health facility.
Dr Opoku explained that elephantiasis, medically known as lymphatic filariasis, is a neglected tropical disease caused by parasitic worms transmitted through mosquito bites. The condition can result in severe and permanent swelling (lymphedema), thickening and hardening of the skin, typically affecting the legs, arms or genitals.
She noted that beyond the physical pain and disability associated with the condition, many affected persons also face social stigma. However, with early detection and appropriate treatment, the disease can be effectively managed.
GHBUSS
01 March 2026
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