RESEARCH NOTE - Development of Dirofilaria immitis (Leidy) in Aedes aegypti (L.) and Culex quinquefasciatus  (Say) from Maceió, Alagoas, Brazil

RESEARCH NOTE: Dirofilaria immitis (Leidy, 1856) is a nematode that can be transmitted mainly by mosquitoes of the genera Aedes, Culex and Anopheles (KW Ludlam et al. 1970 JAVMA 157: 1354-1359). The susceptibility of mosquitoes to support development of D. immitis not only differs according to the vector species but also with regard to strains of a particular species (BM Christensen et al. 1984 J Invertebr Pathol 44: 267-274, CSB Apperson et al. 1989 J Am Mosq Control Assoc 5: 377-382). A recent survey carried out in Maceió, State of Alagoas, Brazil, showed a prevalence rate of 3% of canine filariasis (unpublished data), but the local vector of D. immitis has not yet been determined. The occurrence of Ae. scapularis, Cx. nigripalpus and Mansonia titillans mosquitoes has been reported in Maceió (CML Calheiros 1996 Transmissores em Potencial e Naturalmente Infectados pela Wuchereria bancrofti (Cobbold, 1877) em Maceió- Alagoas, MSc Thesis, UFMG, 147 pp.). >However, Cx. quinquefasciatus and Ae. aegypti, the local vectors of bancroftian filariasis and dengue fever respectively, are the most abundant mosquito species in Maceió. Results of experiments carried out to demonstrate the susceptibility of these species to infection with D. immitis and their vector efficiency are reported here.

Keywords
Dirofilaria immitis - heartworm - Aedes aegypti - Culex quinquefasciatus