Assessment of Culicoides barbosai as a vector of Mansonella ozzardi in Haiti.

Studies in the southern peninsula of Haiti showed that the biting midge, Culicoides barbosai, was capable of supporting the development of Mansonella ozzardi to the infective stage. The known vector, Culicoides furens, also was encountered. Both species showed distinct biting site preferences, i.e., 98% of the midges that engorged on the arms and head were C. barbosai whereas C. furens was collected mostly from the lower legs. Nine days after engorgement, 19 infective larvae were recovered from 13 C. barbosai versus six larvae from four C. furens. It was judged that C. barbosai may be as importantly involved in the natural transmission cycle as C. furens in this community.