Biting midges belonging to the genus Culicoides are tiny stout-shaped hematophagous insects and are thought to transmit the filarial nematode Mansonella perstans. Little is known about the Culicoides fauna in the rain forest belt of the Littoral Region of Cameroon. This study was designed to investigate the diversity, abundance and distribution of Culicoides spp. and their role as the purported vector(s) of M. perstans. Overnight light trap collections and human landing catches (HLCs) revealed eight species of Culicoides with C. grahamii being the most abundant species followed by C. milnei. Four anthropophilic species (C. inornatipennis, C. grahamii, C. fulvithorax and C. milnei) were determined by the HLCs with a higher abundance in the 4-6 p.m. collections. The drop trap technique and Mp419 LAMP assay confirmed C. milnei to be the most efficient vector in enabling the development of the microfilarial stage to the infective larval form of M. perstans. The LAMP assay also revealed that natural transmission of this nematode is fostered by C. milnei and C. grahamii in the wild. In conclusion, C. milnei was shown to be the main vector of M. perstans in the rain forest belt of the Littoral Region of Cameroon.
Keywords: Culicoides milnei; Culicoides species; L3 infective larvae; Mansonella perstans; Mp419 LAMP assay; biting cycle; midges; relative abundance.