Development of Lymphatic Filarial Parasite Wuchereria bancrofti (Spirurida: Onchocercidae) in Mosquito Species (Diptera: Culicidae) Fed Artificially on Microfilaremic Blood

• Published in: Journal of medical entomology 2006-11, Vol.43 (6), p.1222-1226
• Main Authors: Paily, K. P., Hoti, S. L., Balaraman, K.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Animals; anticoagulant; anticoagulants; Bancroftian filariasis; Biological and medical sciences; biological development; Blood; Culicidae; Culicidae - parasitology; Culicidae - physiology; feeding methods; filarial parasite; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; hematophagy; heparin; heparinized blood; host preferences; Host-Parasite Interactions; infection rate; insect vectors; Insecta; Invertebrates; Laboratory Animal Science - methods; Medically important nuisances and vectors, pests of stored products and materials: population survey and control; membrane feeding; microfilariae; mosquito; nutritional support; parasite burden; Species Specificity; susceptibility; Time Factors; vector competence; VECTOR/PATHOGEN/HOST INTERACTION, TRANSMISSION; Vectors. Intermediate hosts; Wuchereria bancrofti; Wuchereria bancrofti - growth & development
• ISSN: 0022-2585; 1938-2928
• DOI: 10.1603/0022-2585%282006%2943%5B1222%3ADOLFPW%5D2.0.CO%3B2

The efficiency of laboratory colonies of mosquitoes such as Anopheles stephensi Liston, Aedes aegypti (L.) Liverpool strain, Ae. aegypti wild type, Aedes albopictus (Skuse), Culex tritaeniorhynchus Giles, Culex sitiens Wiedemann, and Armigeres subalbatus Coquillett in supporting the development of Wuchereria bancrofti (Cobbold) (Spirurida: Onchocercidae) microfilariae to infective larvae was investigated. The mosquitoes were fed on heparinized microfilaremic human blood by using a membrane-feeding unit with Parafilm as membrane. The rate of infection, parasite development, and parasite burden were compared with that in the known vector mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus Say. Cx. quinquefasciatus showed the highest percentage of infection, followed by Ae. aegypti Liverpool strain and An. stephensi. The rate of development of the parasite was more or less similar in all the three species, and infective larvae were found on day 13. When the larvae were harvested on day 17, Cx. quinquefasciatus yielded the highest numbers, followed by Ae. aegypti Liverpool strain and An. stephensi. The percentage of infection was low, and the development was slow in Cx. tritaeniorhynchus compared with the other susceptible species. The parasite developed to second-stage larvae only by day 22 and to infective larvae by day 28. When 2-wk-old Cx. tritaeniorhynchus were fed on microfilaremic blood, they could develop the parasite to infective larvae by day 13 postfeeding. All other species of mosquitoes tested were found to be refractory to parasite development. It is shown that Cx. quinquefasciatus is the most suitable mosquito host for the production of infective larvae. However, Ae. aegypti Liverpool strain, which is commonly used for Brugia malayi filarial parasite, also can be used for generation of W. bancrofti infective larvae to circumvent the problem of maintaining two mosquito species.