Mansonella ozzardi: a redescription with comments on its taxonomic relationships

Abstract

Mansonella ozzardi is redescribed from adult worms collected from the subcutaneous tissues of patas monkeys (Erythrocebus patas) infected with a Haitian strain of the filaria. The worms are small and very slender; females measure about 49 mm in length by 0.15 mm in diameter and males, 26 by 0.07 mm. Haitian (Caribbean) and Colombian (Amazon) forms of the filaria are morphologically identical, as are their microfilariae. Mansonella is most closely related to Tetrapetalonema. Based on taxonomic priority the latter becomes a synonym of Mansonella. As a consequence, T. perstans and T. streptocerca of man in Africa are designated as M. perstans (Manson, 1891) n. comb. and M. streptocerca (Macfie and Corson, 1922) n. comb. Further, M. ozzardi is most closely related to the species M. llewellyni (Price, 1962) n. comb., a parasite of the raccoon, and M. interstitium (Price, 1962) n. comb. found in squirrels, both in North America.