Aedes aegypti pupae were exposed to cercariae of the digenean Plagiorchis noblei in order to assess the effects of infection on the spontaneous flying activity and reproductive success of surviving adults. Infections established primarily in the thorax and abdomen of the insects (mixed infections) or in the abdomen alone. In mixed infections, as few as one or two metacercariae in the thorax reduced the spontaneous flying time of females by almost half. Such infections also reduced total egg production, the number of ovarian cycles, fecundity per cycle, as well as fertility and life span of female hosts. The fertility and life span of males was similarly affected. Purely abdominal infections reduced the life span of males and females as well as the fertility of males, but only at high intensities. Such effects on adult behaviour, reproductive success and life span may augment the known lethal effects of the parasite.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.59867 |
| Date | January 1990 |
| Creators | Kimoro, Charles Omuoyo |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Master of Science (Institute of Parasitology.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 001116849, proquestno: AAIMM66510, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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