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''Mansonella perstans'' is a vector-borne human filarial nematode, transmitted by tiny blood-sucking flies called midges.〔Simonsen P.E., Onapa A.W., Asio S.M. ''Mansonella perstans'' filariasis in Africa, Acta Tropica (2010) Compared to infections with other filarial parasites such as ''Wuchereria bancrofti'', ''Brugia malayi'', and ''Loa loa'', ''Mansonella'' infections are relatively mild. However, the pathogenicity of ''M. perstans'' infection has been recently reconsidered in various studies.〔Bregani E.R., Rovellini A., Mbaidoum N., Magnini M.G. Comparison of different anthelminthic drug regimens against ''Mansonella perstans'' filariasis (2006). Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 100: 458-463.〕 These studies have demonstrated that ''M. perstans'' has the ability to induce a variety of clinical features, including angioedema Calabar-like swellings, pruritus, fever, headache, eosinophilia, and abdominal pain. The overall disability among populations in regions where filariae are endemic has been difficult to determine because of high rates of coinfection with other filariae and the nonspecificity of ''M. perstan'' infections. Furthermore, treatment of ''M. perstans'' is challenging because the most antifilarial drugs, such as ivermectin, diethylcarbamazine, and albendazole are not effective. The optimal treatment for ''M. perstans'' infection remains unclear.〔 Most current studies are focused on coinfection of ''M. perstans'' with other filarial parasites, and the study of ''Wolbachia'' bacteria as endosymbionts in ''M. perstans'' and other filarial parasites. ==History of discovery== In 1890, the microfilariae of ''M. perstans'' were first discovered by Manson in the blood of a patient from West Africa who was hospitalized with sleeping sickness in London. Because the microfilariae were first noted in a patient with African trypanosomiasis, ''M. perstans'' was initially suspected to be the cause of this disease. ''M. perstans'' as the cause of African trypanosomyasis was later ruled out by the Royal Society Sleeping Sickness Commission, who showed the geographical distribution of sleeping sickness did not coincide with that of ''M. perstans'' infection. Upon their discovery, the microfilariae were named ''Filaria sanguinis hominis minor'', due to their relatively small size when compared to another type of microfilarae found in the same patient (''Filaria sanguinis hominis major'', which is now known as ''Loa loa''). The name was later changed to ''Filaria sanguinis hominis perstans'', and later again shortened to ''Filaria perstans'' to comply with the binary system of nomenclature. Over time, the name continued to change as changes in the generic status of the parasite took place. In 1984, Eberhard and Orihel redefined the genus ''Mansonella'' and included the ''M. perstans'' species in it, so it is currently known as ''M. perstans''. The adult worms of ''M. perstans'' were first recovered during ''post mortem'' examination of two aboriginal Indians in British Guiana from their mesentery and subpericardial fat. While an insect vector was hypothesized, it took many years of investigation before the true vector of ''M. perstans'' was discovered.〔Manson P (1891). The ''Filaria sanguinis hominis major'' and ''minor'', two new species of ''haematozoa''. Lancet 137:4–8〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Mansonella perstans」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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