any of a superfamily (Filarioidea) of threadlike, parasitic nematode worms that live in the blood and tissues of vertebrate animals: they are carried and transmitted by mosquitoes and other invertebrates
Any of various slender, threadlike nematode worms of the superfamily Filarioidea that are parasitic in vertebrates and are often transmitted as larvae by mosquitos and other biting insects. The adult form lives in the blood and lymphatic tissues, causing inflammation and obstruction that can lead to elephantiasis.