Rickettsial infections of midgut cells are not associated with susceptibility of Glossina morsitans centralis to Trypanosoma congolense infection

• Published in: Acta tropica Vol. 46; no. 4; pp. 223 - 227
• Main Authors: Moloo, S.K., Shaw, M.K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.07.1989; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; biological resistance; Digestive System - microbiology; Diptera; Glossina morsitans; Glossina morsitans centralis; Glossinidae; Human protozoal diseases; Infectious diseases; Insect Vectors - microbiology; Insect Vectors - parasitology; Medical sciences; midgut; Parasitic diseases; pathogenicity; Protozoal diseases; Rickettsia; Rickettsia - physiology; Tropical medicine; Trypanosoma congolense; Trypanosoma congolense - growth & development; Trypanosoma congolense - physiology; Trypanosomiasis; Tsetse Flies - microbiology; Tsetse Flies - parasitology; Rickettsia; Glossina morsitans centralis; Trypanosoma congolense; Protozoa; Protozoal disease; Rickettsialosis; Insecta; Glossina morsitans; African sickness; Infection; Sensitivity resistance; Rickettsial infection; Arthropoda; Animal; Bacteriosis; Rhizoflagellata; Glossinidae; Invertebrata; Trypanosomiasis; Vector; Diptera
• ISSN: 0001-706X; 1873-6254
• DOI: 10.1016/0001-706X(89)90022-3

Teneral and 30-day old non-teneral Glossini morsitans centralis, from a laboratory-bred colony, were fed on a goat infected with Trypanosoma congolense clone IL 1180. They were then maintained on an uninfected rabbit, and dissected on day 30 after the infected feed. The midgut infection rates were 38.1% and 8.1%, with the mature infection rates of 28.7% and 4.3%, respectively. Electron microscopical examination revealed the presence of rickettsia-like organisms (RLOs) within the mycetomes and the midgut epithelial cells of all the teneral and non-teneral tsetse examined; the RLOs being more numerous in the older tsetse. Also, when the infected feed was given to teneral tsetse, maintained as above and dissected 30 days later, RLOs were observed in the tsetse with mature and immature T. congolense infections, as well as in those tsetse which completely lacked the trypanosomes. It appears that susceptibility of the laboratory reared G.m. centralis to T. congolense infection was not associated with RLOs within the midgut epithelial cells.