Cytotaxonomic analysis of larval chromosomes from the Kulfo River area has revealed the existence of two newly recognized species of Black flies in the river, Simulium kulfoense and S. soderense; yet unlike other Black flies these species are not carriers of Onchocerca volvulus.
By 1970, the community was described as a "forest village", with a relatively high level of infection by the parasitic worm Onchocerca volvulus, the causative agent of river blindness.
volvulus, along with most filarial nematodes, share an endosymbiotic relationship with the bacterium Wolbachia.