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Concomitant malaria (Plasmodium gallinaceum) and filaria (Brugia pahangi) infections in Aedes aegypti: effect on parasite development

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 April 2009

C. M. R. Albuquerque
Affiliation:
Centre for Applied Entomology and Parasitology, Department of Biological Sciences, Keele University, Keele, Staffs ST5 5BG
P. J. Ham
Affiliation:
Centre for Applied Entomology and Parasitology, Department of Biological Sciences, Keele University, Keele, Staffs ST5 5BG

Extract

Mixed infections with malarial (Plasmodium gallinaceum) and filarial (Brugia pahangi) parasites were carried out in 8 trials with filaria susceptible (REFM) and filaria refractory (REP-RR) Aedes aegypti strains. A secondary infection with B. pahangi microfilariae (mff) by intrathoracic inoculation, reduced the development rate of a pre-existing P. gallinaceum infection. The level of reduction ranged from 9·5 to 49% in REFM and from 50 to 90% in REP-RR. An immune response against oocysts was seen as melanization in mosquitoes with a double infection in the strain refractory to B. pahangi (REP-RR) and a reduction in oocyst size in both mosquito strains. Melanization was not observed in mosquitoes infected only with P. gallinaceum. This may indicate that activation of the prophenoloxidase (PPO) cascade in response to mff in the haemolymph can also be addressed against oocysts in the midgut. No significant difference in the number of filarial parasites recovered was observed when comparing groups with a single or double infection. Retardation in development of filaria larvae was observed in mosquitoes with double infection (REFM strain), together with melanization and a higher rate of abnormal development. Nutritional deficiency caused by superinfection might also be responsible for the delay in filarial development and reduced oocyst size.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995

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