How contagious is this?
In most cases elephantiasis is not contagious. Especially in non-tropical regions such as Germany, it is almost always a non-infectious cause of lymphedema, which is not transmissible. Thus, genetic changes in the lymphatic system are hereditary, but this is not a classical infection.
Also the tendency to develop cancer, which can lead to lymphedema and in the long run to elephantiasis, is genetically inheritable. Infectious causes such as the nematode or bacteria, on the other hand, can be transmitted from person to person or even via mosquitoes, in which case it is a contagious disease. However, elephantiasis represents the final stage of damage to the lymphatic system. If the disease is detected early, it can be treated so that the edema is reduced and elephantiasis does not develop.
