Preliminary Study: Natural and experimental infection of the Lesser Mealworm Alphitobius diaperinus (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) with Histomonas meleagridis (Protozoa: Sarcomastigophora)

Karine Huber (1) , Linda Gouilloud (2) , Lionel Zenner (2)

1 UMR958 Protozoaires Entéricoles des Volailles
2 UMR958 Protozoaires Entéricoles des Volailles

Histomonas meleagridis is a protozoa causing histomoniasis, a disease of gallinaceous fowl. With the aim to evaluate whether the lesser mealworm, Alphitobius diaperinus, is capable of harboring H. meleagridis, the presence of the parasite was tested by PCR in lesser mealworms collected in the field. Parasite DNA was detected in two larvae coming from two farms undergoing an outbreak of histomoniasis. Insects were also artificially infected, killed after an incubation period and analyzed by PCR to verify the presence of parasite DNA. After 4 days, two larvae (out of 20) remained positive .Another experimental infection was performed to investigate the viability of histomonads in the larvae. Four days after infection, living parasites were detected in 5 larvae (out of 20). These results show that A. diaperinus have a low susceptibility to infection and would probably not be able to maintain the contamination between two flocks except accidentally.

Mots clés: Life Sciences

Karine Huber, Linda Gouilloud, Lionel Zenner. Preliminary Study: Natural and experimental infection of the Lesser Mealworm Alphitobius diaperinus (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) with Histomonas meleagridis (Protozoa: Sarcomastigophora). Avian Pathology, 2007, 36 (04), pp.279-282. ⟨10.1080/03079450701447317⟩. ⟨hal-00540084⟩