An acute disease is a disease that follows a short course. Elephantiasis refers to a parasitic infection that causes extreme swelling in the arms and legs. The disease is caused by the filarial worm, which is transmitted via the female culex mosquito. Ailments that last for a long time, even as much as a lifetime, are called chronic diseases. Elephantiasis can last for a very long time and has long-term effects on the body. Therefore, it is a chronic disease.