Mansonella ozzardi

  

Contents

  

Rev 05/19/2026

  Classification Hosts
Morphology and Anatomy Life Cycle
Return to Loa Menu Economic Importance Damage
Distribution Management
Return to Onchocercidae Menu Feeding  References
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Classification:

Chromadorea
 Chromadoria

 Rhabditida 

                               Spirurina
                                  Filarioidea
Onchocercidae
 
                 Mansonella ozzardi Mansonella ozzardi (Manson, 1897) Faust, 1929
  •         
  • Type species of the genus

    • Sybobyns:

    Filaria ozzardi Manson, 1897

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    Morphology and Anatomy:

     

    Reported median body size for this species (Length mm; width micrometers; weight micrograms) - Click:         

     

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    Distribution:

    The human filarial nematode Mansonella ozzardi occurs widely in the Neotropical region from southern Mexico to northwestern Argentina.

    Reported from Central and South America: Mexico, Haiti, Panama, Ecuador, Peru, Colommbia, Venezuela, Guyana, Brazil, Argentina

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    Economic Importance:

     

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    Feeding:

    Disruption and ingestion of bronchial mucosa.

     

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    Hosts:

     
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    Life Cycle:

    Mansonellosis is transmitted by black flies of the genus Simulium and biting midges of the family Ceratopogonidae.

    The embryonic unsheathed microfilariae are detectable in the blood (and occasionally in the skin) of the definitive host one day after being released by the fertilized adult female nematodes. After being ingested by a vector, the microfilariae reach the insect’s thoracic musculature through the hemocoel and develop, after two molts, into infective L3 larvae that migrate to the mouthparts of the vector and are transmitted to the definive host during ingestion of a blood meal.

    Mansonelal ozzrdi Disease Cycle diagram from Ferreira et al., 2021`

     

    For Ecophysiological Parameters for this species, click If species level data are not available, click for genus level parameters
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    Damage:

    Surveys in endemic areas show an increase in both M.ozzardi prevalence and microfilarial load with patients’ age until they reach their 60s.Most cases of mansonellosis appear to be asymptomatic, but mild  symptoms  and a recently recognized ocular pathology have been associated with infection.

    Mansonella ozzardi harbors superclade F Wolbachia endosymbionts, with potential therapeutic implications.

    (Ferreira et al., 2021)

       
       

     

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    Management:

    Anivermectin dose of 0.15 mg/kg clears microfilariae but not adult worms.

    Future curative treatments may come from Wolbachia-targeting drugs currently being developed for onchocerciasis and  lymphatic filariasis.

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    References:

    CDC 2018. National Center for emerging and zoonotic indectious diseases (NCEZID); Division of Parastic Diseases and Malaria.

    Ferreira, M.U., Crainey, J.L., Luz, S.L.B. 2021. Parasite of the month: Mansonella ozzardi. Trends in Parasitology 37:90-91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pt.2020.03.005

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    Copyright  1999 by Howard Ferris.
    Revised: May 19, 2026.