Infection of Aedes aegypti with Brugia pahangi administered by enema: results of quantitative infection and loss of infective larvae during blood feeding.

A technique for infecting mosquitoes with known numbers of Brugia pahangi microfilariae by enema is described. Virtually all mosquitoes receiving three microfilariae or more by this route contained infective larvae 10 days later. Within a range of 1 to 40 microfilariae, numbers of infective larvae recovered (Y) were related to the numbers of microfilariae administered (X) by the equation log10Y=0.04 + 0.84 log10X. Mosquitoes feeding on sugar for up to 20 days did not lose a significant number of infective larvae. A blood meal 10 days after infection reduced the proportion of females still infected, as well as the number of worms remaining in those still infected. A second blood meal on day 17 after infection only reduced the proportion of mosquitoes still infected. Adults reared on a low larval diet were less susceptible to infection, and a refractory mosquito strain did not support the development of third-stage larvae. Filarial worms had no effect on mosquito mortality until more than 30 microfilariae were administered.