37 



the face of a human leper was found to "be infected 

 with lepra-like "bacilli . . . Lepra-like bacilli 

 have "been found in bedbugs and these insects have 

 long been associated with the spread of the disease." 



Currie (1910), in experiments with mosquitoes, found 

 little reason to believe that they were transmitters of 

 the infection. However, Vedder (Riley and Johannsen, 

 1938) found acid-fast bacilli in kl per cent of the mosqui- 

 toes ( Aedes aegypti ) which he fed on lesions of leprosy. 

 Currie also found that Musca domestica , Sarcophaga palli - 

 nervis , Sarcophaga barbata , Volencella obesa , and Luc ilia 

 sp. , may contain leprosy bacilli in their intestinal 

 tracts and feces for several days after feeding on leprous 

 fluids. The leprosy bacillus was found by St. John, Sim- 

 mons, and Reynolds, (1930) to survive in the gut of Aedes 

 aegypti for at least 2k hours but they could not be demon- 

 strated after an interval of seven or more days. Honeij 

 and Parker (191*0 concluded from their experiments that 

 Stomoxy s calci trans potentially plays an important role as 

 a carrier of the acid-fast bacilli of leprosy. They also 

 found acid-fast bacilli in Musca domestica . 



Macfie (Riley and Johannsen, 1932) found that M. leprae 

 passed through the cockroach intestine unharmed. 



Many other insects than those discussed above have been 

 thought to be associated with Mycobacterium leprae , but 

 most of the evidence is unconvincing. 



For a description of Mycobacterium leprae , see Bergey's 

 Manual (5th ed. , page QlS). 



Currie, D. G. 19IO Mosquitoes in relation to the trans- 

 mission of leprosy. Flies in relation to the trans- 

 mission of leprosy. U. S. Pub. Health Rept. Bull. 39, 

 k2 pp. 



Hansen, G. A. 1872 Norsk. Mag. f . Laegevidensk. , 2, 1. 



Honeij. J. A. , and Parker, R. R. 191^ Leprosy: flies 

 in relation to the transmission of the disease. J. Med. 

 Research, 30, 127-130. 



Rosenau, M. J. 1927 Preventive medicine and- hygiene. 

 5th ed. , 1^58 pp. D. Appleton and Company, New York. 

 (See page if 20. ) 



Riley, W. A. and Johannsen, 0. A. 1932 Medical Entomology. 

 1st ed. , V76 pp. McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York. (See 

 p. 121.) 



Riley, W. A., and Johannsen, 0. A. 1938 Medical entomol- 

 ogy. Ind. ed. , ^83 pp. McGraw-Hill Book Co. , New York. 

 (See page 260. ) 



