New natural filarial parasites of nonhuman primates in Kenya: a potential use as laboratory model/s for onchocerciasis.

ABSTRACT

To determine the natural filarial infections in east african nonhuman primates, we initiated a screening study at the Institute of Primate Research (IPR) in 1985. We report the findings of this study for the period between 1985 and 1988. Animals screened were wild-caught from different geographical regions of Kenya for various biomedical studies at IPR. We have recovered three dermal filariae from the animals. Two of these parasites are new and have never been described before. Based on demonstratable microfilariae (mf) there was a total infection rate of 67.10%. The adult stages of these filariae are dermal while the free-living mf live in the skin. Our attempts to transmit these infections to tick vectors have been unsuccessful inspite of tick attachment and engorgement. A susceptible vector remains to be determined.