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Xenomonitoring of Wuchereria bancrofti and Dirofilaria immitis Infections in Mosquitoes from American Samoa: Trapping Considerations and a Comparison of Polymerase Chain Reaction Assays with Dissection

Entomologic monitoring of filarial infections, xenomonitoring, may have advantages in certain epidemiologic situations to assess the presence of infections in humans. Hemalum staining and dissection and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were compared to determine the filarial infection status of Aedes (Stegomyia) mosquitoes in American Samoa. The overall prevalences of Wuchereria bancrofti and Dirofilaria immitis infections in Ae. polynesiensis were, respectively, 0.16% and 1.06% by dissection and 0.69% and 1.77% by PCR. Human filarial worm DNA rates in Aedes aegypti and Aedes upolensis were 1.16% and 0.38%, respectively. The results suggest that W. bancrofti transmission to humans may be continuing at low levels in some villages despite recent completion of 5 years of mass drug administration. PCR testing of mosquitoes collected using the BG-Sentinel traps represents a promising alternative to landing catches for assessing the transmission of filariasis in areas where Ae. polynesiensis and related species are the primary vectors.

Received August 29, 2008. Accepted for publication December 4, 2008.

Acknowledgments: The authors thank Jeanette Tuileto’a, Sanerive Fuiava, and Olaiaiga Tupa’i for technical assistance in the field, Onosa’i Aulava for helping arrange mosquito trapping sites, and the American Samoa Department of Health, the American Samoa Community College Nursing Program, the American Samoa Community College Division of Community and Natural Resources, and the residents of Afao, Asili, and Seetaga for participation. The authors also thank the Filariasis Research Reagent Repository Center (FR3) for providing L3 stage Dirofilaria immitis and Mark Eberhard for assistance in microscopic identification of filarial worm species.

Financial support: Funding for this project was provided by GlaxoSmithKline. EWC was supported by an appointment to the Emerging Infectious Diseases (EID) Fellowship Program administered by the Association of Public Health laboratories (APHL) and funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as by support from the Atlanta Research and Education Foundation, Decatur GA. SM’s research is supported by an appointment at the Division of Parasitic Diseases, National Center for Zoonotic Vector-Borne and Enteric Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, and the support of Atlanta Research and Education Foundation, Decatur, GA.

Disclaimer: The views of the authors are their own and do not necessarily represent those of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

^* Address correspondence to Eric W. Chambers, Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, S-225 Ag. Science Center North, Lexington, KY 40546-0091. E-mail: echambers{at}uky.edu

Authors’ addresses: Eric W. Chambers, Division of Parasitic Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mailstop F-42, 4770 Buford Highway NE, Chamblee, GA 30341-3724, Tel: 770-488-7318, E-mail: echambers{at}uky.edu. Shannon K. McClintock, Division of Parasitic Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mailstop F-22, 4770 Buford Highway NE, Chamblee, GA 30341-3724, Tel: 770-488-4204, E-mail: SMcClintock{at}cdc.gov. Melissa F. Avery, Division of Parasitic Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mailstop F-70, 4770 Buford Highway NE, Chamblee, GA 30341-3724, Tel: 770-488-3590, E-mail: MFAvery{at}cdc.gov. Jonathan King, The Carter Center, 1149 Ponce de Leon, Atlanta, GA 30306, Tel: 404-420-3838, Fax: 404-874-5515, E-mail: jonathan.king{at}emory.edu. Mark H. Bradley, Global Community Partnerships, GlaxoSmithKline, Brentford, UK, Tel: 44-208-047-5521, E-mail: mark.h.bradley{at}gsk.com. Mark A. Schmaedick, American Samoa Community College, Division of Community and Natural Resources, PO Box 5139, Pago Pago, American Samoa, Tel: 684-699-1575, E-mail: m.schmaedick{at}amsamoa.edu. Patrick J. Lammie, Division of Parasitic Diseases MS-F36, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway, Atlanta, GA 30341, Tel: 770-488-4054, E-mail: PLammie{at}cdc.gov. Thomas R. Burkot, Division of Parasitic Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mailstop F-42, 4770 Buford Highway NE, Chamblee, GA 30341-3724, Tel: 770-488-3607, Fax: 770-488-4258, E-mail TBurkot{at}cdc.gov.

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