Role of chicken serum in inhibiting Leucocytozoon caulleryi development inCulicoides arakawae infected by membrane-feeding of infective blood meals

Leucocytozoon caulleryi, the most important pathogen of leucocytozoonsis in several Asian countries, is transmitted by Culicoides arakawae. Although t he vector blood meal factors that influence the infectivity of L. caulleryi remain poorly understood, the factors in infected chicken serum remain vit al. C. arakawae blood-fed through a membrane were used in this experiment t o examine the influence of serum factors on L. caulleryi development. Exper imental results indicate that C. arakawae were successfully blood-fed throu gh a chicken-egg-shell membrane and the serum factors in infected chicks si gnificantly affected L. caulleryi sporogony. The inhibition effect of serum factors calculated from sporozoite averages was 53.6% +/- 2.2%. The serum factors, including transmission-blocking antibody, require further detailed study.