ArticleParasites & vectors2021
Presence of a cryptic Onchocerca species in black flies of northern California, USA.
Article in Parasites & vectors, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.
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8 citing papers in PubMed, 9 citations in OpenAlex.
- In cold blood: screening wild Alaskan moose (Parasitology · 2026Article
- A comprehensive review of Onchocercidae nematodes (Nematoda; Filarioidea) infecting wild ruminant ungulates of North and Central America.International journal for parasitology. Parasites and wildlife · 2026Review
- Widespread geographic distribution of filarioid nematodes in caribou (International journal for parasitology. Parasites and wildlife · 2025Article
- Validation of a species-specific probe-based qPCR for detection ofInternational journal for parasitology. Parasites and wildlife · 2024Article
- Biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) as putative vectors of zoonoticFrontiers in veterinary science · 2023Article
- Cutaneous filarioid nematodes of dogs in the United States: Are they emerging, neglected, or underdiagnosed parasites?Frontiers in veterinary science · 2023Review
- Sores of boreal moose reveal a previously unknown genetic lineage of parasitic nematode within the genus Onchocerca.PloS one · 2023Article
- What lies behind the curtain: Cryptic diversity in helminth parasites of human and veterinary importance.Current research in parasitology & vector-borne diseases · 2022Review
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundBlack flies (Diptera: Simuliidae) serve as arthropod vectors for various species of Onchocerca (Nematoda: Onchocercidae) that may be associated with disease in humans, domestic animals, and wildlife. The emergence of zoonotic Onchocerca lupi in North America and reports of cervid-associated zoonotic onchocerciasis by Onchocerca jakutensis highlight the need for increased entomological surveillance. In addition, there is mounting evidence that Onchocerca diversity in North America is far greater than previously thought, currently regarded as Onchocerca cervipedis species complex. This study reports new geographic records and black fly vector associations of an uncharacterized Onchocerca species.
methodsTo better understand the biodiversity and geographic distribution of Onchocerca, 485 female black flies (2015: 150, 2016: 335) were collected using CO
resultsAmong the pools of black flies, there were 158 individuals of Simulium tescorum (2015: 57, 2016: 101), 302 individuals of Simulium vittatum (sensu lato [s.l.]) (2015: 82, 2016: 220), 16 individuals of Simulium clarum "black" phenotype (2015: 5, 2016: 11), and 13 individuals of S. clarum "orange" phenotype (2015: 6, 2016: 7). PCR analysis revealed the percentage of filarioid-positive pools were 7.50% (n = 3) for S. tescorum, 3.75% (n = 3) for S. vittatum (s.l., likely S. tribulatum), 7.69% (n = 1) for S. clarum "black" phenotype, and no positives for S. clarum "orange" phenotype. Genetic distance and phylogenetic analyses suggest that the northern California Onchocerca isolates belong to the same species reported in black flies from southern California (average pairwise comparison: 0.32%), and seem closely related to Onchocerca isolates of white-tailed deer from upstate New York (average pairwise comparison: 2.31%).
conclusionA cryptic Onchocerca species was found in Lake County, California, and may be a part of a larger, continentally distributed species complex rather than a single described species of North America. In addition, there are at least three putative vectors of black flies (S. clarum, S. tescorum, S. vittatum) associated with this cryptic Onchocerca species. A comprehensive reassessment of North American Onchocerca biodiversity, host, and geographic range is necessary.
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