Development by injection in Simulium damnosum s.l. of two Onchocerca species from the wart hog to infective larvae resembling type D larvae (Duke, 1967). 1995

G Wahl, and O Bain
Institut für Tropenmedizin, Eberhard-Karls-Universität, Tübingen, Germany.

Four wart hogs (Phacochoerus aethiopicus) examined in the Sudan savanna of North-Cameroon were all found infected with two types of skin microfilariae. One was O. ramachandrini Bain, Wahl and Renz, 1993, the adult worms of which live in the subcutaneous tissues of the feet. The other, smaller type belongs to a new Onchocerca species, the adult worms of which were not yet found. O. ramachandrini-microfilariae were evenly distributed across the whole body surface, those of Onchocerca sp. were concentrated on the back. The two species of microfilariae were isolated from an infected hide separated under the dissecting microscope and injected into the thorax of pupae-hatched S. squamosum and S. damnosum s.slr. females. Both filariae developed in both flies at high rates (33-47% of injected microfilariae) and without pathological forms to infective larvae L3). Both L3-species had a caudal tip, were long, slender and very motile and had a conspicuous glandular oesophagus. L3 from O. ramachandrini-microfilariae had a long glandular oesophagus (55% of total L3 length), a round head and measured an average of 955 microns long and 19.2 microns wide. L3 from the other microfilaria-species were shorter (845 microns, P < 0.001) and thinner (16.7 microns, P < 0.001) and had a shorter glandular oesophagus (36%, P < 0.001), a shorter tail (P < 0.01) and a conical head. Both L3-species, by their caudal tip, their long and slender silhouette, their great motility and their conspicuous glandular oesophagus resemble non-O. volvulus filarial L3 known, since many years, to occur in "wild" S. damnosum s.l. in Cameroon (Type D larvae, Duke, 1967) and in Liberia (Agamofilaria Type VI, Voelker and Garms, 1972). During our study, L3 such larvae were found in 12 wild S. damnosum s.l. from two geographically different areas of North Cameroon and all identified as O. ramachandrini. The excellent development of the two Onchocerca species from the wart hog in S. damnosum s.l. after artificial infection, and the identification of all recently examined wild Type D larvae as O. ramachandrini suggest that S. damnosum s.l. is a natural vector of O. ramachandrini and that most (if not all) of the Type D larvae in onchocerciasis vectors in North-Cameroon originate from wart hogs.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007303 Insect Vectors Insects that transmit infective organisms from one host to another or from an inanimate reservoir to an animate host. Insect Vector,Vector, Insect,Vectors, Insect
D007814 Larva Wormlike or grublike stage, following the egg in the life cycle of insects, worms, and other metamorphosing animals. Maggots,Tadpoles,Larvae,Maggot,Tadpole
D008842 Microfilariae The prelarval stage of Filarioidea found in the blood and tissues of mammals, birds and intermediate hosts (vector). Microfilaria
D009854 Onchocerca A genus of parasitic nematodes whose organisms live and breed in skin and subcutaneous tissues. Onchocercal microfilariae may also be found in the urine, blood, or sputum. Onchocercas
D009855 Onchocerciasis Infection with nematodes of the genus ONCHOCERCA. Characteristics include the presence of firm subcutaneous nodules filled with adult worms, PRURITUS, and ocular lesions. Onchocerciases
D002163 Cameroon A republic in central Africa lying east of CHAD and the CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC and west of NIGERIA. The capital is Yaounde. Republic of Cameron,Cameroons,United Republic of Cameroon
D005260 Female Females
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D012843 Simuliidae A family of insects in the order DIPTERA, which include black flies, buffalo gnats and simulies. Several species are intermediate hosts (vectors) for the parasitic disease ONCHOCERCIASIS. Black Flies,Simulium,Blackflies,Black Fly,Blackfly,Flies, Black,Fly, Black,Simuliums
D012867 Skin The outer covering of the body that protects it from the environment. It is composed of the DERMIS and the EPIDERMIS.

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