Molecular epidemiology of Mansonella species in Gabon.

Mansonella perstans, a filarial nematode, infects large populations in Africa and Latin America. Recently, a potential new species Mansonella sp. "DEUX" was reported. Carriage of endosymbiotic Wolbachia opens treatment options for Mansonella infections. Within a cross-sectional study, we assessed the prevalence of filarial infections in 834 Gabonese individuals and the presence of the endosymbiont Wolbachia. Almost half of the participants (400/834, 48%) were infected with filarial nematodes, with Mansonella sp. "DEUX" being the most frequent (295/400, 74%), followed by Loa loa (273/400, 68%), and M. perstans (82/400, 21%). Being adult/elderly, male, and living in rural areas was associated with a higher risk of infection. Wolbachia carriage was confirmed in M. perstans and Mansonella sp. "DEUX". In silico analysis revealed that Mansonella sp. "DEUX" is not detected with currently published M. perstans specific assays. Mansonella infections are highly prevalent in Gabon and might have been underreported, likely also beyond Gabon.