Distribution of microfilariae of Onchocerca lienalis and Onchocerca gutturosa in the Skin of cattle in Germany and their development in Simulium ornatum and Culicoides nubeculosus following artificial infestation

Abstract

Onchocerca microfilariae were isolated from the umbilicus and neck of 438 cow hides at the abattoir in Tübingen, F.R.G. The overall Onchocerca infection rate was 40.4%. The presence of Onchocerca lienalis and O. gutturosa microfilariae, which are difficult to distinguish by morphological criteria, was retrospectively demonstrated after artificially infesting Simulium ornatum an Culicoides nubeculosus and identifying the infective larvae recovered. Nine of 16 samples of umbilical microfilariae fed to C. nubeculosus through a latex membrane developed to O. gutturosa third stage larvae (L 3). Six of seven umbilical samples injected into the thorax of S. ornatum yielded O. lienalis L 3. In six infestation trials in which microfilariae were introduced both into S. ornatum and C. nubeculosus, O. lienalis L 3 were recovered exclusively from simuliids, while O. gutturosa L 3 developed only in midges. Of six umbilical skins tested by cross-infestation, one contained exclusively O. gutturosa microfilariae, four only O. lienalis microfilariae and one was infected with both species. Developmental success of O. lienalis microfilariae to L 3 in S. ornatum following intrathoracic injection was 22% of the mean inoculum. O. gutturosa microfilariae, ingested by C. nubeculosus through a latex membrane, developed to L 3 at a rate of 2.3% of the mean microfilarial uptake.