Wuchereria bancrofti

The microfilariae of Wuchereria bancrofti have several distinguishing characteristics. They are sheathed and their size varies depending on the medium used for staining: measuring 240—300 µm in stained blood smears and 275—320 µm in 2% formalin.

The body of these microfilariae is gently curved, and their tails taper to a point. Within the microfilaria's body, the nuclear column, which consists of the cells that make up the microfilaria, is loosely packed. As a result, individual cells can be visualized separately, and they do not extend all the way to the tip of the tail.

A Sheath
B Tip of tail without nuclei
C Last nucleus