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The examination of gill parasites from Pangasius micronemao Bleeker, 1847 (Siluriformes, Pangasiidae) in Southeast Asia revealed the presence of nine species of Monogenea. Two (Thoparocleidus brevicochleus Pariselle, Lim & Lambert, 2001 and T. sinespinoe Pariselle, Lim & Lambert, 2001) have been previously described. Among the others, six species, belonging to Thaporocleidus Jain, 1952 (Monogenea, Ancylodiscoididae) as defined by Lim (1996) and Lim et al. (2001), are considered new species: T. tacitus n. sp., T. summagracilis n. sp., T. portentosus n. sp., T rukyonii n. sp., T. durandi n. sp., and T. lebrunce n. sp. The remaining species is represented by too few individuals to be conclusively described.

The examination of gill parasites from P. mahakamensis Pouyaud, Gustiano & Teugels, 2002 (Siluriformes, Pangasiidae) in Southeast Asia revealed the presence of three species of Monogenea. One (Thaparocleidus caecus (Mizelle & Kritsky, 1969)) had been previously described. The other two, belonging to Thaparocleidus Jain, 1952 (Monogenea, Ancylodiscoididae) as defined by Lim (1996) and Lim et al. (2001), are considered new species: T. pouyaudi n. sp. and T. teugelsi n. sp.

The examination of gill parasites from Pangasius polyuranodon Bleeker, 1852 and P. elongatus Pouyaud, Gustiano & Teugels, 2002 (Siluriformes, Pangasiidae) in Southeast Asia revealed the presence of four new species of Monogenea all belonging to Thaparocleidus Jain, 1952 (Monogenea, Ancylodiscoididae) as defined by Lim (1996) and Lim et al. (2001): T. furcus n. sp., T. infundibulus n. sp., T. sudartoi n. sp. and T. turbinatio n. sp.

The examination of gill parasites from Hemichromis fasciatus Peters, 1858 (Pisces, Cichlidae) in Africa revealed the presence of nine species of Monogenea, three belong to Onchobdella Paperna, 1968 and the others to Cichlidogyrus Paperna, 1960. Seven have been previously described (O. aframae Paperna, 1968; O. bopeleti Bilong Bilong & Euzet, 1995; O. voltensis Paperna, 1968; C. dageti Dossou & Birgi, 1984; C. euzeti Dossou & Birgi, 1984; C. falcifer Dossou & Birgi, 1984 and C. longicirrus Paperna, 1965); two, belonging to the latter genus, are considered as new species: C. sanseoi n. sp. and C. teugelsi n. sp. As parasitic species are not present in all the host distribution area, we think that H. fasciatus is made up of two distinct populations (or even sister species).

The examination of gill parasites from Pangasius polyuranodon Bleeker, 1852 (Siluriformes, Pangasiidae) revealed the presence of six new host-specific species of Monogenea, all belonging to Thaparocleidus Jain, 1952 (Monogenea, Ancylodiscoididae) as defined by Lim (1996) and Lim et al. (2001): T. caestus n. sp., T. crassipenis n. sp., T. legendrei n. sp., T. levangi n. sp., T. slembroucki n. sp. and T. virgula n. sp.

The examination of gill parasites from Pangasius nasutus (Bleeker, 1862) (Siluriformes, Pangasiidae) revealed the presence of five new species of Monogenea, all belonging to Thaparocleidus Jain, 1952 (Monogenea, Ancylodiscoididae) as defined by Lim (1996) and Lim et al. (2001): T. serpens n. sp. T. ocrea n. sp., T. megagripus n. sp., T. citreum n. sp. and T. alatus n. sp.

The examination of gill parasites from Pangasius krempfi Roberts & Vidthayanon, 1991; P. kunyit Pouyaud et al., 1999; P. mekongensis Gustiano et al., in press and P. sabahensis Gustiano et al., in press (Siluriformes, Pangasiidae) in Southeast Asia revealed the presence of six species of Monogenea, all belonging to the genus Thaparocleidus Jain, 1952 (Monogenea, Ancylodiscoididae) as defined by Lim (1996) and Lim et al. (2001). One has been previously described (T. vietnamensis Pariselle et al., 2002), five are considered as new species: T. humerus n. sp. and T. culter n. sp. on P. kunyit; T. mehurus n. sp. and T. culteroides n. sp. on P. sabahensis; and T. phuongi n. sp. on the four studied host species. The latter one, due to slight morphometric differences linked to geographical origin of hosts, is described as made up of three sub-species: T. phuongi phuongi n. sub-sp., T. phuongi malaysiensis n. sub-sp. and T. phuongi indonesiensis n. sub-sp.

The examination of gill parasites from Pangasius bocourti Sauvage, 1880; P. djambal Bleeker, 1846; P. hypophthalmus (Sauvage, 1878) and P. gigas Chevey, 1930 (Siluriformes, Pangasiidae) revealed the presence of seven species of Monogenea among which five are considered new species. They all belong to Thaparocleidus Jain, 1952 (Ancylodiscoididae) as defined by Lim (1996) and Lim et al. (2001). P. bocourti: T. combesi n. sp., T. komarudini n. sp. and T. vietnamensis n. sp. P. djambal: T. caecus (Mizelle & Kritsky, 1969), T. combesi n. sp., T. euzeti n. sp., T. komarudini n. sp. and T. sadilii n. sp. P. hypophthalmus: T. caecus, T. siamensis (Lim, 1990) and T. vietnamensis n. sp. P. gigas: no Monogenea were found on this host species.

The examination of gill parasites from Pangasius pangasius (Hamilton, 1822); P. kinabatanganensis Roberts & Vidthayanon, 1991; P. rheophilus Pouyaud & Teugels, 2000 and P. nieuwenhuisii (Popta, 1904) (Siluriformes, Pangasiidae) in Southeast Asia revealed the presence of six species of Thaparocleidus Jain, 1952 (Monogenea, Ancylodiscoidinae). One has been previously described from P. pangasius: T. pangasi (Tripathi, 1957). The other five are new species: T. chandpuri n. sp. from P. pangasius; T. bahari n. sp. and T. sabanensis n. sp. from P. kinabatanganensis; T. redebensis n. sp. from P. rheophilus and T. mahakamensis n. sp. from P. nieuwenhuisii.

Anopheles arabiensis is the unique species of the An. gambiae complex observed in the wells dug by market-gardeners in the Dakar area. In order to relate the numbers of immature stages and emerging adults mosquitoes, population measurements were performed in eight wells in which An. arabiensis was the only mosquito species. Mean density of immature stages was measured using two sampling methods, the dipping with a tray by giving 50 dips in each well, and the quadrat with a frame on 2 or 3 m2 in each well. The absolute number of emergent adults was obtained by collecting mosquitoes under net-trap covering entirely each wells. The dipping method was quicker and more operational than quadrat method. Density estimations of larvae at stage I to IV did not significantly differed using dipping or quadrat methods. On the contrary, pupal density was underestimated when measured by dipping. Mosquito nets placed over wells increased significantly emergence rate of adults, thus measurement of emerging mosquitoes was possible only the first day following the net putting up. The total number of immature stages in each well was significantly correlated with the number of emergent mosquitoes. The mean number of mosquitoes emerging daily from one well corresponded to 5% of the total number of immature stages. Stage distribution for larvae I to IV and pupae, estimated by quadrat, was respectively 29%, 28%, 22%, 16% et 5% (total = 100%). Taking account the mean duration of various immature stages and the number of emerging mosquitoes by day, the equation of the survivorship curve from larval hatch (excluded) to emergence included was: y = 427.2-136.8 Log x. Therefore the mean mortality at immature stages was 80% i.e. an emerging rate of 20%. The results of this study, associated with those of previous ones, permit to evaluate the average productivity of malaria vectors in market-gardener wells in the Dakar area.

An entomological study was carried out in Ndiop village, Senegal, an area of sudan-type savana, from January to December 1995, to compare the malaria inoculation rate measured by the dissection of salivary glands of anophelines and the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Mosquitoes were sampled by night-bite collections. Species from the Anopheles gambiae complex were identified using the polymerase chain reaction. 1292 females Culicidae were collected. 597 anophelines mosquitoes known to be malaria vectors were captured during 148 man-nights of capture. Of the 572 anophelines investigated, 14 were positive using dissection while 21 were found to be positive with ELISA. The sporozoite rates were 2.5%, 2.2% and 3.8% for An. arabiensis, An. gambiae and An. funestus, respectively. The circumsporozoite rates were 3.5%, 2.2% and 7.7% for these three species, respectively. ELISA detected 1.5 times more positive mosquitoes than dissection. These results are discussed with reference to the duration of the sporogonic cycle, the delay before CSP antigens are apparent, and the daily survival rate of Anopheles mosquitoes.

Phlebotomine sandflies were captured on a monthly basis from May 1995 to April 1996 in the Mont-Rolland district in Western Senegal. The objectives were to study the population dynamics of sandflies and to make an inventory of the viruses they transmit. Among 10,315 specimens captured, belonging to 14 species, Sergentomyia dubia (35.9%), S. schwetzi (27.7%) and S. buxtoni (24.5%) were the most abundant. Species from the genus Sergentomyia accounted for 99.6% versus 0.4% for the genus Phlebotomus. The sandflies population was observed to peak in February. The most populated resting sites of the captured insects were in decreasing order tree-holes, termite-hills and burrows. S. dubia was the most abundant species captured in tree-holes. It was S. buxtoni in termite-hills, while S. schwetzi was found to dwell most often in burrows. No virus was isolated from 2,114 specimens tested.

Literature on artificial membrane feeding has traditionally supported the notion that mosquitoes have to be enough old to present a high gorging rate and enough young to present a high surviving rate. In order to know the best mosquito age to perform a Plasmodium sp. experimental infection revealed by oocyst examination, Anopheles arabiensis of known ages were fed on baudruche membrane with fresh human blood thermostated at 37 degrees C. The response was evaluated in term of gorging after ten minutes in contact with the membrane feeder and, for engorged females, in term of survival eight days after the engorgement. Two strains of mosquitoes were used, one wild, collected at larval stages in the city of Dakar and the other, originating from the same place but reared in our insectary since three years. The two strains showed their highest gorging rate at 3-4 days after emergence (39.4% for the wild strain and 63.3% for the insectary strain). The survival rate of the wild strain was highest at 2-3-4 days after emergence (64.8%) and those of the insectary strain at four days (65.6%). In conclusion, the gorging mosquitoes would have to be aged of 3-4 days after emergence for the wild strain and of four days for the insectary strain in order to obtain eight days after the engorging the best output of fed and surviving mosquitoes.

In order to get an accurate measure of malaria transmission by mean of human bait attraction, three methods of catches for human-bail mosquitoes were compared in a Cameroonian village of high anopheline density. These three methods were 1) the classical human landing catches where the man was in the same time bait and catcher, 2) the single-nets which acted as a trap and 3) the double-nets where the outer net acted as a trap and the inner avoided mosquito bites. The anopheline densities per man with human landings were 1.6 time higher than those obtained with single-nets, these later being 4.7 times higher than those obtained with double-nets. In the three methods, the results were similar for the anophelines species catched and for their respective proportions. The samples of Anopheles nili and An. gambiae had comparative parity rates and sporozoitic indexes. From these results, in order to estimate the malaria transmission it can be envisaged to change the standard human-bait catch for the human-baited single bed-net catch; on the contrary the double-net have to be discarded because of their poor results.

The susceptibility of Arvicanthis niloticus, Mastomys huberti, Mastomys erythroleucus and Mus musculus was studied to assess the capacity of these rodents to transmit Schistosoma mansoni. The susceptibility was determined by the percentage of adult schistosomes recovered, the number of eggs per gramme of faeces, the viability of these eggs and the capacity of the rodents to maintain the life cycle of Schistosoma mansoni. The percentages of adult worms recovered were respectively 18%, 11.5%, 8.4% and 20.5% in A. niloticus, M. huberti, M. erythroleucus and M. musculus. After infection, they liberate in the environment viable eggs whose miracidia are infectious for the intermediate host (Biomphalaria pfeifferi). The mean egg load was 300 +/- 327.8 in A. niloticus; 664 +/- 673.5 in M. huberti; 240 +/- 304.8 in M. erythroleucus; 400 +/- 361.5 in M. musculus.

A female fourth stage larva of Meningonema, probably of M. peruzzii Orihel et Esslinger, 1973, was recovered in Cameroon, from the cerebrospinal fluid of a patient harbouring Loa loa, but without any neurological signs. This observation is the first human case of Meningonema (Filarioidea Splendidofilariinae) which usually parasitizes the central nervous system of African Cercopithecinae. However, as indicated by Orihel and Esslinger, it seems probable that the perstans-like microfilariae described in cases of cerebral filariasis in Zimbabwe belonged to the same species.

From April 1990 to March 1992 a longitudinal entomological study was carried out in Dielmo village, Senegal, an area of Sudan-type savanna. Mosquitoes were sampled by night-bite collections and pyretnrum spray collections. Seven anopheles species were identified: An. gambiae s.s. An. arabiensis, An. funestus, An. pharoensis, An. rufipes, An. squamosus and An. ziemanni. Present throughout the year, An. gambiae s.l. and An. funestus represented more than 98% of anopheles captured on man. A yearly wave of An. gambiae s.l. was observed in the rainy season and An. funestus was generally more abundant in the dry season. The sporozoite rate was 1.5% and 1.3%, respectively, for these two species. Sporozoite typing by monoclonal antibodies indicated that the proportion of infected salivary glands was 92.7% P. falciparum, 18.2% P malariae and 8.2% P. ovale. The inoculation rate was calculated to be respectively 111, 21 and 8 infective bites per human for P. falciparum, P. malariae and P. ovale during the first year. Transmission was highest in the second year, with respectively 272, 54 and 25 infective bites per human.