A Mallophaga, Trinoton anserinum , as a Cyclodevelopmental Vector for a Heartworm Parasite of Waterfowl

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Abstract
The biting louse Trinoton anserinum serves as the intermediate host in the life cycle of the filarial heartworm, Sarconema eurycerca . Microfilariae, second-, and third-stage larvae were dissected from 39 of 89 lice infesting whistling swans, " Cygnus columbianus columbianus , in North America and mute swans, Cygnus olor , in the Black Sea, U.S.S.R. Infective third-stage larvae obtained from lice collected from heartworm-parasitized whistling swans were injected subcutaneously into each of two hand-reared, nonparasitized mute swan cygnets. Both of these birds developed heartworm infections, one becoming microfilaremic at 14 weeks. The results of this study provide conclusive evidence that a mallophagan serves as a natural cyclodevelopmental vector of a filarial parasite.
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