Fecundity and localization of Dipetalonema viteae (Nematoda, Filarioidea) in the jird Meriones unguiculatus.

In quantitatively infected Meriones unguiculatus autopsied during prepatency, the embryonic development of fertilized eggs in the uteri of female Dipetalonema viteae commenced 29-32 days p.i., and approximately 20 days later the first microfilariae were released. In host animals examined at the onset of patency 45-59 days p.i. the average adult recovery rate was 31%. The worms were localized in the subcutaneous tissue (65.3%), fasciae of muscles (26.9%) and body cavities (7.8%). Female worms from the peritoneal and pleural cavities were significantly longer (44.3 +/- 10.4 mm) than those from the other habitats (33.7 +/- 5.5 mm). Female worms 14-20 weeks p.i. contained a total of 172,700 +/- 62,400 intrauterine stages, 21% of them pathologically altered. Based on these parameters, the expected in vivo fecundity of a female worm was calculated as about 7000 microfilariae per day.