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- Title
Urbanization impact on mosquito community and the transmission potential of filarial infection in central Europe.
- Authors
Čabanová, Viktória; Miterpáková, Martina; Valentová, Daniela; Blažejová, Hana; Rudolf, Ivo; Stloukal, Eduard; Hurníková, Zuzana; Dzidová, Marianna
- Abstract
Background: Despite long-term research on dirofilariosis in Slovakia, little attention has thus far been paid to <italic>Dirofilaria</italic> vectors. The particular aim of the present study was molecular screening for filarioid parasites in two different habitats of Bratislava, the capital city of Slovakia. In addition, the effect of urbanisation on mosquito species abundance and composition, associated with the risk of mosquito-borne infections, was studied and discussed. Methods: Mosquitoes were identified by morphological features, and molecular methods were also used for determination of selected individuals belonging to cryptic species from the <italic>Anopheles maculipennis</italic> and <italic>Culex pipiens</italic> complexes. The presence of filarioid DNA (<italic>Dirofilaria repens</italic>, <italic>Dirofilaria immitis</italic> and <italic>Setaria</italic> spp.) was detected using standard PCR approaches and sequencing. Results: A total of 6957 female mosquitoes were collected for the study. Overall, the most abundant mosquito species was <italic>Aedes vexans</italic>, closely followed by unidentified members of the <italic>Cx. pipiens</italic> complex and the less numerous but still plentiful <italic>Ochlerotatus sticticus</italic> species. Further investigation of mosquito material revealed 4.26% relative prevalence of <italic>Dirofilaria</italic> spp., whereby both species, <italic>D. repens</italic> and <italic>D. immitis</italic>, were identified. The majority of positive mosquito pools had their origin in a floodplain area on the outskirts of the city, with a relative prevalence of 5.32%; only two mosquito pools (1.26%) were shown to be positive in the residential zone of Bratislava. <italic>Setaria</italic> spp. DNA was not detected in mosquitoes within this study. Conclusions: The study presented herein represents initial research focused on molecular mosquito screening for filarioid parasites in urban and urban-fringe habitats of Bratislava, Slovakia. Molecular analyses within the <italic>Cx. pipiens</italic> complex identified two biotypes: <italic>Cx. pipiens</italic> biotype <italic>pipiens</italic> and <italic>Cx. pipiens</italic> biotype <italic>molestus</italic>. To our knowledge, <italic>Dirofilaria</italic> spp. were detected for the first time in Slovakia in mosquitoes other than <italic>Ae. vexans</italic>, i.e. <italic>D. repens</italic> in <italic>Anopheles messeae</italic> and unidentified members of <italic>An. maculipennis</italic> and <italic>Cx. pipiens</italic> complexes, and <italic>D. immitis</italic> in <italic>Coquillettidia richiardii</italic> and <italic>Cx. pipiens</italic> biotype <italic>pipiens.</italic> Both dirofilarial species were found in <italic>Och. sticticus.</italic> The suitable conditions for the vectors' biology would represent the main risk factor for dirofilariosis transmission.
- Subjects
FILARIASIS prevention; TREATMENT of filariasis; DIROFILARIA immitis; SETARIA; URBANIZATION
- Publication
Parasites & Vectors, 2018, Vol 11, Issue 1, pN.PAG
- ISSN
1756-3305
- Publication type
Article