Longevity of Wuchereria bancrofti var. pacifica and mosquito infection acquired from a patient with low level parasitemia
Carme, B.; Laigret, J.
American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 28(1): 53-55
1979
ISSN/ISBN: 0002-9637 PMID: 373472 Document Number: 147092
The case is reported of a woman, originally infected with Wuchereria bancrofti in Tahiti, who still had live microfilariae in her blood after living in France for 40 years. Another case is reported of a Frenchman who had lived in Tahiti for 3 years when he developed lymphadenitis and lymphangitis like filariasis. Repeated attempts to find microfilariae in the blood were unsuccessful. Eventually 100 Aedes polynesiensis mosquitoes were fed on him; 15 days later 75 were dissected and 5 infective larvae of W. bancrofti were found in one of them. This case indicates that even persons with very few microfilariae in their blood can still act as carriers of the infection. Two cases are reported from Tahiti showing that Wuchereria bancrofti var. pacifica can survive at low levels for many years in man, and (in one case tested) remain infective, at low level, for adult mosquitoes, in this case laboratory-reared Aedes polynesiensis Marks.