microfilaria /mi·cro·fi·la·ria/ (-fĭ-lar´e-ah) [L.] the prelarval stage of Filarioidea in the blood of humans and in the tissues of the vector; sometimes incorrectly used as a genus name.
microfilaria
mi·cro·fi·lar·i·a (m  kr -f -lâr  -)n. pl. mi·cro·fi·lar·i·ae (- -) The minute larval form of a filarial worm. mi cro·fi·lari·al adj. |
microfilaria
[mī′krōfiler′ē·ə] pl. microfilariae
Etymology: Gk, mikros + L, filum, thread
the prelarval form of any filarial worm. Certain blood-sucking insects ingest these forms from an infected host, and the microfilariae then develop in the body of the insect and become infective larvae. See also filariasis, loiasis, onchocerciasis, Wuchereria.
microfilaria
the larva of worms in the superfamily Filarioidea. They are produced by adult worms residing in the bloodstream, tissues or body cavities, from where they can be ingested by biting insects. There they pass through a developmental stage and are transmitted to another permanent host when it is bitten by the insect. The microfilariae of some species are nocturnal and are therefore available for transmission only at night.
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