Dktection of filarial parasites wolbachia endosymbiotic bacteria in mosquitoes by pcr

Abstract EN

Wuchereria bancrofti\ the principal etioiogic agent of lymphatic lllariasis is tnosquito dependant in the biological transmission.

Dirofilariasis is essentially a disease of canines which can also be transmitted to humans by cuUcine mosquitoes.

WolbachAa are Rickettsia-like, obligatory intracellular bactcria that infect the reproductive and somatic tissues of some arthropods and nematodes.

Our study aimed to identify the possible association between filarial parasites and Wolbachia by single and multiplex PCR.

1600 female mosquitoes collected from four localities in Assiut (jovcrnorate, Egypt were microscopically identified and divided into 64 mosquito pools according to their genera and coileetion site.

Single PCR was firstly conducted on mosquitoes followed by multiplex PCR for simultaneous detection of the three filarial parasites (Wucheraria bancrofti, DirofUuriu imnnt.is and Dirojilaria repens') and Wolbachia in mosquitoes.

The results indicated that: (Jut of 64 mosquito pools, 8 pools were positive for Wuchereria bancrofti with estimated rate of infection (F.Rl 0.53%).

3 for each of Dirofilaria imrnitis and Dirojilaria repens (ERl 0.19%) and 6 pools were positive for Wolbachia (ivRI 0.39%), five of them with tllarial parasites (W.

Bancrofti, D.

immiiis and /).

repens) (83,3%), with a significant P.

value (< 0.05).

We concluded that there was a strong association between the presence of Wolbachia and filarial parasites that should be considered during the treatment of patients with filarial diseases by the use of specific anU-Wolbachia antibiotic in addition to the usual anti-filarial drugs