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Lymphatic Filariasis Life Cycle

Cycle of Transmission
The adult parasites causing LF live in the lymphatic system of the human body. The female worm produces offspring, known as microfilariae, which leave the lymphatic system to enter the blood where they may be taken up by mosquitoes during a blood meal. The microfilariae undergo about 14 days of development in the mosquito to become infective third-stage larvae which migrate to the mosquito’s mouthparts. These larvae may be transmitted to humans at the time the mosquito takes its next blood meal.

Once transmitted to humans, the larvae take approximately 6-12 months to mature into adult worms. The adult female has the capacity to produce several million microfilariae in its approximate 4-6 year lifespan.