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Vaselek S, Oguz G, Ayhan N, Ozbel Y, Kadriaj P, Ćupina AI, Velo E, Muja N, Baymak D, Alishani M, Toz S, Nalcaci M, Sherifi K, Charrel R, Alten B, Petrić D. Sandfly surveillance and investigation of Leishmania spp. DNA in sandflies in Kosovo. Med Vet Entomol 2020; 34:394-401. [PMID: 32438501 DOI: 10.1111/mve.12451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2019] [Revised: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
In the past decade, leishmaniasis seems to be re-emerging in Balkan countries. There are serious implications that Kosovo is a visceral leishmaniasis endemic region with autochthonous transmission; nevertheless, surveillance of vectors, reservoirs or the disease is not yet established. Gaining knowledge about sandfly vector species is a prerequisite for the development of a monitoring and control plan in the future. After a long gap in research of over 70 years, sandfly studies in Kosovo were resumed in 2014. During this presence/absence study, nine sandfly species were detected: Phlebotomus papatasi, Ph. perfiliewi, Ph. tobbi, Ph. neglectus, Ph. simici, Ph. balcanicus, Ph. alexandri, Ph. mascittii and Sergentomyia minuta. Three species are new with regard to the fauna of Kosovo - Ph. alexandri, Ph. balcanicus and Ph. mascittii. Besides increased diversity, changes in the number of collected specimens and distribution range of species were recorded, with Ph. neglectus being the most dominant species with the widest distribution. Testing of randomly chosen females for Leishmania spp. DNA resulted the in detection of L. tropica in a specimen of Ph. neglectus. The presence of numerous vector species in the sandfly fauna of Kosovo pose a threat for the re-emergence of vector-borne diseases. Therefore, continuous surveillance is recommended with regular updates on vector distribution and abundance.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Vaselek
- Laboratory for Medical Entomology, Department of Plant and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - G Oguz
- VERG Laboratory, Ecology Division, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Hacettepe University, Beytepe, Ankara, Turkey
| | - N Ayhan
- Unité des Virus Emergents (UVE: Aix Marseille Univ, IRD 190, INSERM 1207, IHU Méditerranée Infection), Marseille, France
| | - Y Ozbel
- Faculty of Medicine, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - P Kadriaj
- Control of Infectious Diseases Department, Institute of Public Health, Tirana, Albania
| | - A I Ćupina
- Laboratory for Medical Entomology, Department of Plant and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - E Velo
- Control of Infectious Diseases Department, Institute of Public Health, Tirana, Albania
| | - N Muja
- Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science, Department of Biology, University of Prishtina "Hasan Prishtina", Prishtina, Kosovo
| | - D Baymak
- Kosovo National Institute of Public Health, Prishtina, Kosovo
| | - M Alishani
- Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary, Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Prishtina "Hasan Prishtina", Prishtina, Kosovo
| | - S Toz
- Faculty of Medicine, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - M Nalcaci
- Faculty of Medicine, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - K Sherifi
- Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary, Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Prishtina "Hasan Prishtina", Prishtina, Kosovo
| | - R Charrel
- Unité des Virus Emergents (UVE: Aix Marseille Univ, IRD 190, INSERM 1207, IHU Méditerranée Infection), Marseille, France
| | - B Alten
- VERG Laboratory, Ecology Division, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Hacettepe University, Beytepe, Ankara, Turkey
| | - D Petrić
- Laboratory for Medical Entomology, Department of Plant and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
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