Short description
Elephantiasis is a disease that is characterized by grossly swellings of body parts due to impaired lymph drainage.
Detailed description
In the majority of cases, legs are affected and swell strongly because of the accumulation of fluid. Elephantiasis can have genetic reasons or be the consequence of an infection, which is then called Elephantiasis tropica. It is caused by nematodes or bacteria that are transmitted to humans through mosquito bites. The disease cannot be cured and it seems that infection with the nematode
Wuchereria bancrofti, one of the causes of elephantiasis, increases the risk of
HIV infection.
