Elephantiasis :: essays research papers fc

I did my report on filariasis, which ismore commonly known as elephantiasis.Elephantiasis is the new phase of filariasis. Filariasisis a tropical mosquito born parasitic diseasecausing obstruction of the lymph vessels. In somepeople the presence of the worm causes a create from raw stuffreaction that causes the lymph flow to be blocked.This blockage produces lymphedema which is aswelling and can eventually lead to a tremendousenlargement of an extremity or organ. Whenelephantiasis follows repeated infection, parts ofthe body -- particularly the legs -- become grosslyenlarged and the surrounding skin hardens andulcerates. Certain types of elephantiasis can betreated surgically. Elephantiasis of the legs isusually treated with flexile bandages and frequentelevation of the legs. The leg and foot, may swellto elephantine size. There may be allergic reactionslike itching and localized swelling. The body mayalso react by causing calcium tissue to bedeposited around the worm, walling i t off andeventually causing its death. In humans, the matureworm lives tightly coiled in the lymphatic vesselswhere they reproduce. The female holds thefertilized eggs in her body. Later the embryos,called microfilariae, are discharged alive. Aninteresting feature of these worms is the periodicswarming of the microfilariae in the bloodstream.In nigh 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 the modal(a) host. These hosts are various generaof mosquitoes, notably A?des, Anopheles, andCulex. Within 10 to 11 days after ingestion by ahuman skin they emigrate to the lymphayic vessels