Mechanical transmission of Trypanosoma spp. by African Stomoxyinae (Diptera: Muscidae).

Abstract

Ten taxa of Stomoxyinae were tested for their ability to transmit Trypanosoma brucei, T. vivax, T. evansi and T. congolense to mice within 3 min of interrupted feeding on highly parasitaemic blood. T. brucei was the easiest parasite to transmit with an 11.5% success rate, followed by T. vivax at 3.4%, and T. evansi at 0.9%. T. congolense was not transmitted in 129 attempts. Stomoxys niger sspp. and four unstudied species (S. varipes, S. taeniatus, S. pallidus, Haematobosca squalida) were capable of transmitting trypanosomes mechanically.