Observations on Onchocerca gibsoni and nodule development in naturally-infected cattle in Australia

O. gibsoni worms were extracted from 185 nodules of a total of 370 worm nodules collected from 94 naturally infected cattle at Townsville, Australia. 183 of the 185 nodules contained a single female worm, 60% of them contained a single male worm and 7% contained two male worms. Nodules containing males alone were not found. Small nodules (less than 0.2 g) contained immature female worms without microfilariae and no males. As nodule size and female worm size increased, the number of female worms with microfilariae and the number of nodules with males increased reaching almost 100% in nodules weighing greater than 3.0 g. It is suggested that female worms normally become encapsulated when young, grow within the nodule and tht the male enters the nodule later, fertilises the female and remains in the nodule.