LABORATORY STUDIES ON THE POSSIBILITY OF CULEX QUINQUEFASCIATUS TO HARBOR HEPATOZOON SP. INFECTING CERASTES CERASTES CERASTES VIPER IN EGYPT.

A successful experimental infection of Culex quinquefasciatus with Hepatozoon sp. infecting Cerastes cerastes cerastes viper was carried out under laboratory conditions of 24 +/- 3 degrees C and 60-70% R. H. The period monitored for complete sporogonic cycle was 21 days. The effect of high parasitimic blood meal was nonsignificant (P>0.05) on preoviposition period and hatchability. Meanwhile a highly significant reduction was observed in oviposition rate, number of deposited eggs, number of hatched larvae and longevity (P<0.01). On the contrary moderate infection with Hepatozoon revealed a great significant increase in fecundity (P<0.01) and a nonsignificant decrease in longevity (P>0.05)