Laboratory transmission of lymphatic filariasis by vector mosquitoes.

Aedes togoi and Ae. aegypti were used to examine the transmission potential of Brugia pahangi to one of its natural hosts, the domestic cat. Although a larger proportion of microfilariae taken in by Ae. togoi developed into infective larvae, the total number of B. pahangi larvae recovered from a cat exposed to Ae. aegypti was larger than from a cat exposed to Ae. togoi. Factors influencing the transmission dynamics included: development of microfilariae to infective larvae; survival of mosquitoes; willingness to take repeated blood meals; and proportion of infective larvae that egress from mosquitoes during the feeding process. From 19 to 25% of infective larvae were transferred to a susceptible host. The feasibility of using a Brugia-cat model to do comparative vector efficiency studies was demonstrated.

Brugia timori: experimental infection in some laboratory animals.

Experimental infection with Brugia timori of 7 jirds (Merionesunguiculatus), 4 cats and 2 monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) is described. Although no microfilariae were detected by examining 20 microliter samples of tail blood of jirds, adult worms were recovered from 6 of the 7 jirds at autopsy 69-141 days following infection. Some worms were gravid and microfilariae were found in visceral blood of 2 animals. The adult recovery rate in jirds was 16%; the male to female ratio was 1:3. In cats patent infection developed in 95-105 days but microfilaraemias were of low level and transient. No parasites were recovered from monkeys.