Simulium
Quick Summary
The genus Simulium belongs to the family Simuliidae, commonly known as black flies. These are small, stout-bodied flies, typically black or dark gray, with gauzy wings. Both male and female black flies belong to the order Diptera.12
Black flies are known for their blood-sucking females, which can be so numerous that they pose a threat to livestock and birds. A significant aspect of Simulium flies is their role as vectors for diseases. They transmit the parasite Onchocerca volvulus, which causes onchocerciasis, also known as river blindness. This condition can lead to skin nodules and, in about 5% of cases, blindness.13
The life cycle of black flies involves aquatic larvae and pupae that live in flowing water. Adult flies emerge from their pupal cases and fly away. The genus Prosimulium is a type of black fly.145
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filariasisTypes of filariasis…by flies of the genus Simulium. These flies breed along fast-moving streams. The condition is widespread in southern Mexico and Guatemala and is common in central Africa. Characteristic lesions are nodules beneath the skin, usually in the head region; the infection may also invade the eyes, causing blindness in about…
Read More…by flies of the genus Simulium. These flies breed along fast-moving streams. The condition is widespread in southern Mexico and Guatemala and is common in central Africa. Characteristic lesions are nodules beneath the skin, usually in the head region; the infection may also invade the eyes, causing blindness in about…
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onchocerciasis…black flies in the genus Simulium. The disease is found chiefly in Brazil and Venezuela in the Americas and in sub-Saharan Africa, in a broad belt extending from Senegal on the west coast to Ethiopia on the east; in Africa its northern edge is about 15° N of the Equator,…
Read More…black flies in the genus Simulium. The disease is found chiefly in Brazil and Venezuela in the Americas and in sub-Saharan Africa, in a broad belt extending from Senegal on the west coast to Ethiopia on the east; in Africa its northern edge is about 15° N of the Equator,…
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