loiasis

[ loh-ahy-uh-sis ]

noun

, Pathology.

1. infestation with the parasitic eye worm, Loa loa, of the subcutaneous tissues and orbit: endemic in West Africa.

Word History and Origins

Origin of loiasis¹

1910–15; < New Latin, equivalent to Lo ( a ) a worm genus + -iasis -iasis

Example Sentences

L. loa infections, or loiasis, are spread by mosquitoes and flies that carry L. loa larvae.

From Science Magazine

Until now, diagnosing loiasis has been tricky—especially because symptoms can be so subtle.

From Science Magazine

Prakash, a 34-year-old assistant professor at Stanford, is currently working on refining the optics to improve the resolution from 700 nanometers, which is sharp enough for diagnosing African sleeping sickness, shistosomiasis, loiasis, and many other diarrheal diseases.

From BusinessWeek