Elephantiasis :: essays research papers fc

I did my report on filariasis, which ismore commonly known as elephantiasis.Elephantiasis is the late phase of filariasis. Filariasisis a tropical mosquito born parasitic unsoundnesscausing obstruction of the lymph vessels. In somepeople the presence of the plant louse causes a tissue counterbalanceion that causes the lymph flow to be blocked.This blockage produces lymphedema which is aswelling and can eventually lead to a tremendous involution of an extremity or organ. Whenelephantiasis follows repeated infection, parts ofthe body -- particularly the arms -- belong grosslyenlarged and the surrounding skin hardens andulcerates. Certain types of elephantiasis can betreated surgically. Elephantiasis of the legs isusually treated with elastic bandages and frequentelevation of the legs. The leg and foot, may swellto elephantine size. There may be sensitized reactionslike itching and localized swelling. The body mayalso react by causing calcium tissue to bedeposited around the worm, walling it eat up andeventually causing its death. In kind-hearteds, the matureworm lives tightly coil in the lymphatic vesselswhere they reproduce. The female holds thefertilized eggs in her body. Later the embryos,called microfilariae, atomic number 18 discharged alive. Aninteresting feature of these worms is the periodicswarming of the microfilariae in the bloodstream.In just about species swarming takes place at night. Theembryos can be taken up by an insect only whenthey are in a humans bloodstream. They developeinto infective larvae in the insect, which is theintermediate host. These hosts are various generaof mosquitoes, notably A?des, Anopheles, andCulex. Within 10 to 11 days after ingestion by ahuman skin they migrate to the lymphayic vessels