EXPERIMENTAL TRANSMISSION OF DIPETALONEMA-DRACUNCULOIDES (COBBOLD 1870) BY RHIPICEPHALUS-SANGUINEUS (LATREILLE 1806)

A dog naturally infected with Dipetalonema dracunculoides and having a microfilaremia of 6050 microfilariae per mm3 of blood was used as sou rce of infection. Experimentally cultivated nymphs of Rhipicephalus sa nguineus were fed on the donor dog. Once engorged, ninety-three nymphs were removed and kept at 30-degrees-C and RH 90% until they moulted t o the adult stage. To study the development of microfilariae in the ve ctor, ten ticks were dissected at Day 37 post-infection. Adult infecte d ticks were fed on two uninfected dogs. The observed pre-patent perio ds were 69 and 76 days. Trans-stadial transmission of Dipetalonema dra cunculoides by Rhipicephalus sanguineus was demonstrated.