filaria

filaria definition - medical

fi·lar·i·a (fə-lârˈē-ə)

noun pl. fi·lar·i·ae (-ē-ēˌ)
Any of various threadlike nematode worms of the superfamily Filarioidea parasitic in vertebrates and often transmitted as larvae by biting insects. The adult form lives in the blood and lymphatic tissues, causing inflammation and obstruction that can lead to elephantiasis.

Related Forms:

  • fi·larˈi·al (-ē-əl), fi·larˈi·an (-ē-ən) adjective
Filaria definition - medical

Filaria

noun
A genus of nematodes no longer in taxonomic use and whose members are now classified in the family Onchocercidae.

The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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