Mansonella ozzardi

Man·son·el·la oz·zar·'di

a filarial parasite occurring in the Yucatan, Panama, Colombia, northern Argentina, Guyana, French Guiana, and the islands of St. Vincent and Dominica, causing mansonelliasis; the microfilariae are not ensheathed, and there are no nuclei in the pointed tail; the life cycle is similar to that of Wuchereria bancrofti; humans are the only known definitive host, and the intermediate hosts are biting midges, Culicoides furens and possibly C. paraensis. Synonym(s): Mansonella demarquayi, Mansonella tucumana

Mansonella ozzardi

A filarial nematode which causes serosal filariasis in humans.
Epidemiology
Subsaharan Africa, Central and South America, Caribbean; up to 50% of Brazilian farmers are infected by M ozzardi.
Vector
Haematophagous midges (genus Culicoides) in the Caribbean and blackflies (genus Simulium) in the Amazon basin.
Clinical findings
Generally banal, with angioedema, Calabar-like swellings, pruritus, fever, headache, eosinophilia and abdominal pain.
Management
Uncertain; anti-filarial drugs (e.g., ivermectin, diethylcarbamazine and albendazole) are ineffective against Mansonella species.