[Vectorial competence of Glossina palpalis palpalis, Glossina p. gambiensis and Glossina morsitans morsitans flies for a clone of Trypanosoma (Nannomonas) congolense IL 1180].

The authors report on the results of experimental infections of teneral (age < 32 hours) and non-teneral (age between 80 and 96 hours) Glossina palpalis palpalis, G. p. gambiensis and G. morsitans morsitans with Trypanosoma congolense IL 1180. Flies were infected once on a parasitaemic rat. Teneral flies, both sexes indiscriminate, showed a procyclic and metacyclic infection rate respectively of 0.0588 and 0.7272 for G. p. palpalis; 0.0525 and 0.0416 for G. p. gambiensis; 0.6493 and 0.7300 for G. m. morsitans. Neither of the non-teneral G. palpalis subspecies had any vectorial competence, whereas G. m. morsitans had procyclic and metacyclic infection rates of 0.4541 and 0.7884. Statistical analysis could not demonstrate any significant difference in metacyclic infection rate between teneral and non-teneral G. m. morsitans. Teneral flies of each subspecies transmitted the infection to rats, used as hosts, before the twentieth day. Concerning trypanosome development in the fly, it was observed that five days after infection procyclic and mesocyclic forms could be observed simultaneously in all flies dissected at that moment.