A novel assay to isolate and quantify third-stage Dirofilaria immitis and Brugia malayi larvae emerging from individual Aedes aegypti.

Background: Mosquitoes transmit filarial nematodes to both human and animal hosts, with worldwide health and economic consequences. Transmission to a vertebrate host requires that ingested microfilariae develop into infective third-stage larvae capable of emerging from the mosquito proboscis onto the skin of the host during blood-feeding. Determining the number of microfilariae that successfully develop to infective third-stage larvae in the mosquito host is key to understanding parasite transmission potential and to developing new strategies to block these worms in their vector.