Maintenance ofDracunculus medinensis(L.) in the laboratory and observations on experimental infections

Abstract

The ability of various mammals to transmitDracunculus medinensishas been investigated. The most suitable definitive host for laboratory transmission was the rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta) and, in 11 out of 14 of these animals female worms emerged 321 to 371 days after first infection. The parasite has now been maintained in monkeys for four laboratory cycles. Five of 11 dogs and 17 of 30 cats had developing parasites in their tissues when autopsied, but no worms emerged from two dogs left for over a year and only a single worm from one of nine cats. Monkeys showed a seemingly haphazard pattern of susceptibility to infection and reinfection, although none of the 17 animals exposed was completely refractory.Cyclops vernalis americanus(Marsh) was an easily maintained and efficient intermediate host; a 90% infection rate with an average of two infective larvae perCyclopswas obtained.This work was supported by a grant from the Tropical Medicine Research Board through the Ministry of Overseas Development. Thanks are due to Mrs Vivian Duckett for technical assistance.