MEDICALLY IMPORTANT SPECIES OF THE FILARIAL WORMS Brugia malayi Wuchereria bancrofti

The principal species parasitic in humans are: COMMON NAME Malayan filarial worm Bancroft’s filarial worm
Bancroftian filariasis
Malayan filariasis or
1) Wuchereria bancrofti DISEASE Wucheriasis
Brugian filariasis
Habitat: lower lymphatics Elephantiasis
Microfilaria: sheathed, nocturnal periodicity PREVALENCE Less than 3% 4 to 10%
Urban type = Aedes poecilus
Distribution: Tropics and Sub-tropics
INTERMEDIATE HOST / Swamps = Mansonia bonneae (abaca / banana)

2) Brugia malayi VECTOR Rice fields = Mansonia uniformis

Rural type = Anopheles minismus
Habitat: upper lymphatics flavirotris
Microfilaria: sheathed, nocturnal periodicity SPECIMEN Blood
Distribution: Eastern Asia, India, Southwestern Pacific LIFE SPAN 5 years
Nocturnal subperiodic Nocturnal periodic
PERIODICITY
3) Loa Loa (10pm to 2am)
Habitat: cutaneous and subcutaneous tissues Sheathed
Sheathed
Microfilaria: sheathed, diurnal periodicity APPEARANCE Moves in graceful manner /
Angular curve / Kinky
Distribution: Tropical Africa sweeping curves
ANAL PORE 82.28% 82.48% (bigger)
4) Mansonella (Dipetalomena) perstans BODY NUCLEI Overlapping, inconspicuous Discrete / Separate, conspicuous
Habitat: body cavities GENITAL CELL Big Small
Microfilaria: unsheathed, non-periodic EXCRETORY CELL Big Small
Distribution: Tropical Africa and Tropical South America Twice as long as broad (2:1)
CEPHALIC SPACE Long as broad (1:1)
(letter “B”, 2nd letter in alphabet”
5) Mansonella streptocerca Tapering WITHOUT nuclei
TAIL END / TIP OF TAIL Slightly bulb with 2 nuclei
Habitat: skin and subcutaneous tissues (letter “W” din wala)
Microfilaria: unsheathed, non-periodic HABITAT Upper lymphatic Lower lymphatic
Distribution: Tropical Africa

6) Mansonella ozzardi
Habitat: subcutaneous tissues, possibly body cavity
Microfilaria: unsheathed, non-periodic
Distribution: Tropical America

7) Onchocerca volvulus
Habitat: subcutaneous tissues
Microfilaria: unsheathed, present in cutaneous lymphatics
Distribution: Tropical Africa, North Yemen, Mexico, Brazil, Guatemala,
Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador

FILARIAL WORMS

COMMON NAME: Wuchereria bancrofti, Brugia malayi

DISEASE ASSOCIATED:
 Bancroft Filariasis
 Brugian Filariasis FILARIAL NEMATODE CHARACTERISTIC FEATURE OF MICROFILARIA
MOT: Vector-borne (mosquito) LYMPHATIC FILARIASIS
INFECTIVE STAGE: L3 larva
DIAGNOSTIC STAGE: Microfilarae in the blood Wuchereria bancrofti Sheathed, Pointed tail tip free of nuclei
DEFINITIVE HOST: Humans Brugia malayi Sheathed, blunted tail tip with two terminal
INTERMEDIATE HOST: Mosquito nuclei
Brugia timori Sheathed longer than Mf. malayi
Note: SUBCUTANEOUS FILARIASIS
○ Infective stage in HUMANS - L3 LARVA
○ Infective stage in MOSQUITO - MICROFILARIAE Loa Loa Sheathed, nuclei extending up to pointed tail tip
Onchocerca volvulus Unsheathed, blunt tail tip free of nuclei
Mansonella streptocerca Unsheathed, blunt tail tip with nuclei
SEROUS CAVITY FILARIASIS
Mansonella perstans Unsheathed, pointed tail tip free of nuclei
Mansonella ozzardi Unsheathed, pointed tail tip with nuclei
 OTHER FILARIAL WORMS

1. Loa Loa (aka: African Eye Worm)

○ VECTOR: Chrysops sp. (aka. Mango Fly / Tabanid Fly)
○ DISEASE ASSOCIATED:
 Calabar swelling

2. Onchocerca volvulus (aka: Convoluted worm, Blinding worm)

○ VECTOR: Simulium sp. (Black Fly)
○ DISEASE ASSOCIATED:
 River blindness
 Hanging groin
○ DIAGNOSIS: Skin snips