SEASONAL VARIABILITY IN SORE CHARACTERISTICS OF STEPHANOFILARIAL DERMATITIS IN BAY ISLANDS

Due to lack of any effective biological control of musca conducens and M. autumnalis, the intermediate hosts of Stephanofilaria assamensis, the only hope for the large scale control of stephanofilarial dermatit is rests on effective treatment given to all affected animals in cordo ned localities at a time when most of the sores contain immature or un -infective stage of the worm and eggs / microfilariae for further tran smission are available in minimum numbers (Rai et al., 1990). The pres ent study was under taken to correlate the sore characteristics with s eason, fly population and stage of the parasitic developments, in orde r to find out the best months of blanket treatment in three islands.