[Diversity of the filaria of the genus Cercopithifilaria in baboons in Kenya].

Several samples of subcutaneous filariae belonging to the genus Cercopithifilaria, collected from baboons in Kenya, were compared to type materials of the two species already described from baboons, C. kenyensis Eberhard, 1980, from P. anubis in Kenya, and C. degraaffi Bain, Baker et Chabaud, 1982, from P. ursinus in South Africa. Three species have been identified from Kenyan material: C. kenyensis collected in P. cynocephalus, at Kibwezi; C. narokensis n. sp., collected in P. anubis, at Narok; C. eberhardi n. sp. collected in one P. anubis (no locality given). The microfilariae--proved to be dermal for C. kenyensis and C. narokensis--are sheathed, dorso-ventrally flattened, and according to the species with or without refractile granules under the sheath. C. kenyensis, C. narokensis and C. degraaffi are very close by the adult morphology; however good discriminative characters are to be found in the structure of the body wall and the shape of the caudal extremity. C. eberhardi is a small species with primitive characters (cephalic papillae arranged in square, body not flattened dorso-ventrally and without internal lateral cuticular thickenings, tail with well developed median point and two tiny lateral lappets, one pair of distinctly precloacal papillae). The latter species resembles Cercopithifilaria parasites of Carnivorous, confirming that this genus is homogeneous despite its exceptionally large host spectrum and geographical distribution. These peculiarities seem to be related to the biology of their vectors, the ticks Ixodidae, which insure the infective filarial larvae a great longevity coupled to a wide dispersion.