Elephantiasis, also known as lymphatic filariasis, is a disease characterized by gross enlargement of an area of the body, especially the arms, legs, or male genitals. Elephantiasis is caused by different types of parasitic worms and is transmitted by female mosquitoes. When an infected female mosquito bites a person, it injects the worm larvae into the bloodstream, which reproduces and spreads to different parts of the body, where the worms can live for many years, leading to enlargement of the body part(s).
Attribution: Straight Talk Foundation