Institut Territorial de Recherches Médicales Louis Malarde, Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia.
The sensitivity of a previously described polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was improved to detect a single mosquito, infected by as few as 1-2 microfilariae of Wuchereria bancrofti, among 20-50 uninfected mosquitoes. Wild-caught Aedes polynesiensis were used to compare assessment of infection by dissection of individuals with the PCR assay of pools of mosquitoes. The PCR assay was at least as sensitive as dissection for detection of mosquitoes infected with W. bancrofti.