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Schols R, Smitz N, Vanderheyden A, Huyse T. Expanding the swimmer's itch pool of the Benelux: a first record of the neurotropic Trichobilharzia regenti and potential link to human infection. Parasit Vectors 2024; 17:126. [PMID: 38481352 PMCID: PMC10938770 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-024-06218-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Swimmer's itch, an allergic contact dermatitis caused by avian and mammalian blood flukes, is a parasitic infection affecting people worldwide. In particular, avian blood flukes of the genus Trichobilharzia are infamous for their role in swimmer's itch cases. These parasites infect waterfowl as a final host, but incidental infections by cercariae in humans are frequently reported. Upon accidental infections of humans, parasite larvae will be recognized by the immune system and destroyed, leading to painful itchy skin lesions. However, one species, Trichobilharzia regenti, can escape this response in experimental animals and reach the spinal cord, causing neuroinflammation. In the last few decades, there has been an increase in case reports across Europe, making it an emerging zoonosis. METHODS Following a reported case of swimmer's itch in Kampenhout in 2022 (Belgium), the transmission site consisting of a private pond and an adjacent creek was investigated through a malacological and parasitological survey. RESULTS Six snail species were collected, including the widespread Ampullaceana balthica, a well-known intermediate host for Trichobilharzia parasites. Shedding experiments followed by DNA barcoding revealed a single snail specimen to be infected with T. regenti, a new species record for Belgium and by extension the Benelux. Moreover, it is the most compelling case to date of the link between this neurotropic parasite and cercarial dermatitis. Additionally, an Echinostomatidae sp. and Notocotylus sp. were isolated from two other specimens of A. balthica. However, the lack of reference DNA sequences for these groups in the online repositories prevented genus- and species-level identification, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The presence of T. regenti in Belgium might have severe clinical implications and its finding highlights the need for increased vigilance and diagnostic awareness among medical professionals. The lack of species-level identification of the other two parasite species showcases the barcoding void for trematodes. Overall, these findings demonstrate the need for a Belgian framework to rapidly detect and monitor zoonotic outbreaks of trematode parasites within the One Health context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruben Schols
- Department of Biology & BopCo, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium.
- Laboratory of Aquatic Biology, KU Leuven, Campus Kortrijk, Kortrijk, Belgium.
| | - Nathalie Smitz
- Department of Biology & BopCo, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium
| | - Ann Vanderheyden
- BopCo, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Tine Huyse
- Department of Biology & BopCo, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium
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2
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Edmunds SC, Fouque F, Copas KA, Hirsch T, Shimabukuro PHF, Andrade-filho JD, Marceló C, Morales CA, Lesmes MC, Fuya P, Méndez S, Cadena H, Ávila-Díaz Á, Santamaría E, Južnič-Zonta Ž, Eritja R, Palmer JRB, Bartumeus F, dos Santos-Conceição M, Chahad-Ehlers S, Silva-Inácio CL, Lozovei AL, de Andrade AJ, Paull S, Ángel Miranda M, Barceló C, Schaffner F, Della-Torre A, Brosens D, Dekoninck W, Hendrickx G, Van Bortel W, Deblauwe I, Smitz N, Versteirt V, Godoy RE, Brilhante AF, Ceccarelli S, Balsalobre A, Vicente ME, Curtis-Robles R, Hamer SA, Landa JMA, Rabinovich JE, Marti GA, Schigel D. Publishing data to support the fight against human vector-borne diseases. Gigascience 2022; 11:6795290. [PMID: 36329618 PMCID: PMC9633277 DOI: 10.1093/gigascience/giac114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Vector-borne diseases are responsible for more than 17% of human cases of infectious diseases. In most situations, effective control of debilitating and deadly vector-bone diseases (VBDs), such as malaria, dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever, Zika and Chagas requires up-to-date, robust and comprehensive information on the presence, diversity, ecology, bionomics and geographic spread of the organisms that carry and transmit the infectious agents. Huge gaps exist in the information related to these vectors, creating an essential need for campaigns to mobilise and share data. The publication of data papers is an effective tool for overcoming this challenge. These peer-reviewed articles provide scholarly credit for researchers whose vital work of assembling and publishing well-described, properly-formatted datasets often fails to receive appropriate recognition. To address this, GigaScience's sister journal GigaByte partnered with the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) to publish a series of data papers, with support from the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR), hosted by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Here we outline the initial results of this targeted approach to sharing data and describe its importance for controlling VBDs and improving public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott C Edmunds
- Corresponding author. Scott Edmunds, BGI Hong Kong Tech Co Ltd., Hong Kong, NT HONG KONG. E-mail:
| | - Florence Fouque
- Special Programme for Research & Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR), World Health Organization, Avenu Appia 20, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland
| | - Kyle A Copas
- GBIF Secretariat Universitetsparken 15. DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
| | - Tim Hirsch
- GBIF Secretariat Universitetsparken 15. DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
| | - Paloma Helena Fernandes Shimabukuro
- Coleção de Flebotomíneos (FIOCRUZ/COLFLEB), Instituto René Rachou, Fiocruz Minas Avenida Augusto de Lima, 1715 - Barro Preto, 30190009, Belo Horizonte, Brazil,Grupo de Estudos em Leishmanioses, Instituto René Rachou, Fiocruz Minas Avenida Augusto de Lima, 1715 - Barro Preto, 30190009, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - José Dilermando Andrade-filho
- Coleção de Flebotomíneos (FIOCRUZ/COLFLEB), Instituto René Rachou, Fiocruz Minas Avenida Augusto de Lima, 1715 - Barro Preto, 30190009, Belo Horizonte, Brazil,Grupo de Estudos em Leishmanioses, Instituto René Rachou, Fiocruz Minas Avenida Augusto de Lima, 1715 - Barro Preto, 30190009, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Catalina Marceló
- Grupo de Entomología, Instituto Nacional de Salud, 111321, Bogotá, Colombia
| | | | - María Camila Lesmes
- Grupo de Entomología, Instituto Nacional de Salud, 111321, Bogotá, Colombia,Universidad de Ciencias Aplicadas y Ambientales, 111166, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Patricia Fuya
- Grupo de Entomología, Instituto Nacional de Salud, 111321, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Sergio Méndez
- Grupo de Entomología, Instituto Nacional de Salud, 111321, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Horacio Cadena
- Programa de Estudio y Control de Enfermedades Tropicales PECET, 050010, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Álvaro Ávila-Díaz
- Universidad de Ciencias Aplicadas y Ambientales, 111166, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Erika Santamaría
- Grupo de Entomología, Instituto Nacional de Salud, 111321, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Živko Južnič-Zonta
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), C/d'accés a la Cala St. Francesc 14, 17300 Blanes, Girona, SpainCentre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), C/d'accés a la Cala St. Francesc 14, 17300 Blanes, Girona, Spain
| | - Roger Eritja
- Centre de Recerca Ecològica i Aplicacions Forestals (CREAF), Edifici C Campus de, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - John R B Palmer
- Departament de Ciències Polítiques i Socials, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Plaça de la Mercè, 10-12, 08002 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Frederic Bartumeus
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), C/d'accés a la Cala St. Francesc 14, 17300 Blanes, Girona, SpainCentre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), C/d'accés a la Cala St. Francesc 14, 17300 Blanes, Girona, Spain,Centre de Recerca Ecològica i Aplicacions Forestals (CREAF), Edifici C Campus de, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain,Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), 23 Passeig de Lluís Companys, 08010 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maurício dos Santos-Conceição
- Basic Pathology Department, Federal University of Paraná, Av. Cel. Francisco H. dos Santos, 100 - Jardim das Américas, Curitiba, PR 81531-980, Brazil
| | - Samira Chahad-Ehlers
- Genetics and Evolution Department, Federal University of São Carlos, Rodovia Washington Luís, km 235 SP-310, São Carlos, SP 13565-905, Brazil
| | - Cássio Lázaro Silva-Inácio
- Microbiology and Parasitology Department, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Av. Senador Salgado Filho, 3000, Natal, RN 59078-970, Brazil
| | - Ana Leuch Lozovei
- Basic Pathology Department, Federal University of Paraná, Av. Cel. Francisco H. dos Santos, 100 - Jardim das Américas, Curitiba, PR 81531-980, Brazil
| | - Andrey José de Andrade
- Post-graduate Programme in Entomology, Zoology Department, Federal University of Paraná, Av. Cel. Francisco H. dos Santos, 100 - Jardim das Américas, Curitiba, PR 81531-980, Brazil
| | - Sara Paull
- National Ecological Observatory Network, Battelle, 1685 38 St, Boulder, CO 80301, USA
| | - Miguel Ángel Miranda
- Applied Zoology and Animal Conservation group, University of the Balearic Islands (UIB), Ctra Valldemossa km 7.5, 07122 Palma, Spain
| | - Carlos Barceló
- Applied Zoology and Animal Conservation group, University of the Balearic Islands (UIB), Ctra Valldemossa km 7.5, 07122 Palma, Spain
| | - Francis Schaffner
- Francis Schaffner Consultancy, Lörracherstrasse 50, 4125 Riehen, Switzerland
| | - Alessandra Della-Torre
- Dep. Public Health and Infectious diseases, University Sapienza, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Roma, Italy
| | - Dimitri Brosens
- Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Havenlaan 88 b73, 1000, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Wouter Dekoninck
- Royal Belgian Institute for Natural Sciences (RBINS - BopCo & Scientific Heritage Service), Vautierstraat 29, 1000, Brussels, Belgium
| | | | - Wim Van Bortel
- Unit Entomology, Dept. of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITG), Nationalestraat, 155, 2000, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Isra Deblauwe
- Unit Entomology, Dept. of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITG), Nationalestraat, 155, 2000, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Nathalie Smitz
- Royal Museum for Central Africa (RMCA - BopCo), Leuvensesteenweg 17, 3080 Tervuren, Belgium
| | - Veerle Versteirt
- Agency for Nature and Forests, (ANB), Havenlaan 88 b75, 1000, Brussels, Belgium
| | | | - Andreia Fernandes Brilhante
- Universidade Federal do Acre, Departamento de Ciências da Saúde e Educação Física. Universidade Federal do Acre, Distrito Industrial, Rio Branco, 69920900, Er, Brasil
| | - Soledad Ceccarelli
- Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores (CEPAVE-CCT-La Plata-CONICET-UNLP), La Plata, Buenos Aires 1900, Argentina,Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, 1002, Argentina
| | - Agustín Balsalobre
- Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores (CEPAVE-CCT-La Plata-CONICET-UNLP), La Plata, Buenos Aires 1900, Argentina,Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, 1002, Argentina
| | - María Eugenia Vicente
- Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores (CEPAVE-CCT-La Plata-CONICET-UNLP), La Plata, Buenos Aires 1900, Argentina
| | - Rachel Curtis-Robles
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, 77845, USA
| | - Sarah A Hamer
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, 77845, USA
| | - José Manuel Ayala Landa
- Facultad de Agronomia, UCV, Apdo. 4579, Museo del Instituto de Zoología Agrícola (MIZA), 2101A, Maracay, Venezuela
| | - Jorge E Rabinovich
- Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores (CEPAVE-CCT-La Plata-CONICET-UNLP), La Plata, Buenos Aires 1900, Argentina,Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, 1002, Argentina
| | - Gerardo A Marti
- Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores (CEPAVE-CCT-La Plata-CONICET-UNLP), La Plata, Buenos Aires 1900, Argentina,Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, 1002, Argentina
| | - Dmitry Schigel
- GBIF Secretariat Universitetsparken 15. DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
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Sonet G, Smitz N, Vangestel C, Samyn Y. DNA barcoding echinoderms from the East Coast of South Africa. The challenge to maintain DNA data connected with taxonomy. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0270321. [PMID: 36215236 PMCID: PMC9550079 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0270321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Echinoderms are marine water invertebrates that are represented by more than 7000 extant species, grouped in five classes and showing diverse morphologies (starfish, sea lilies, feather stars, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, brittle and basket stars). In an effort to further study their diversity, DNA barcodes (DNA fragments of the 5' end of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene, COI) have been used to complement morphological examination in identifying evolutionary lineages. Although divergent clusters of COI sequences were reported to generally match morphological species delineations, they also revealed some discrepancies, suggesting overlooked species, ecophenotypic variation or multiple COI lineages within one species. Here, we sequenced COI fragments of 312 shallow-water echinoderms of the East Coast of South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal Province) and compared morphological identifications with species delimitations obtained with four methods that are exclusively based on COI sequences. We identified a total of 103 morphospecies including 18 that did not exactly match described species. We also report 46 COI sequences that showed large divergences (>5% p-distances) with those available to date and publish the first COI sequences for 30 species. Our analyses also identified discordances between morphological identifications and COI-based species delimitations for a considerable proportion of the morphospecies studied here (49/103). For most of them, further investigation is necessary to keep a sound connection between taxonomy and the growing importance of DNA-based research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gontran Sonet
- Joint Experimental Molecular Unit—JEMU, Operational Directorate Taxonomy and Phylogeny, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium
- * E-mail:
| | - Nathalie Smitz
- Joint Experimental Molecular Unit—JEMU, Department of Biology, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium
| | - Carl Vangestel
- Joint Experimental Molecular Unit—JEMU, Operational Directorate Taxonomy and Phylogeny, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Yves Samyn
- Recent Invertebrates Collections, Scientific Heritage Service, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium
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4
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Maes T, De Corte Z, Vangestel C, Virgilio M, Smitz N, Djuikwo-Teukeng FF, Papadaki MI, Huyse T. Large-scale and small-scale population genetic structure of the medically important gastropod species Bulinus truncatus (Gastropoda, Heterobranchia). Parasit Vectors 2022; 15:328. [PMID: 36123605 PMCID: PMC9484234 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05445-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Gastropod snails remain strongly understudied, despite their important role in transmitting parasitic diseases. Knowledge of their distribution and population dynamics increases our understanding of the processes driving disease transmission. We report the first study to use high-throughput sequencing (HTS) to elucidate the population genetic structure of the hermaphroditic snail Bulinus truncatus (Gastropoda, Heterobranchia) on a regional (17–150 km) and inter-regional (1000–5400 km) scale. This snail species acts as an intermediate host of Schistosoma haematobium and Schistosoma bovis, which cause human and animal schistosomiasis respectively. Methods Bulinus truncatus snails were collected in Senegal, Cameroon, Egypt and France and identified through DNA barcoding. A single-end genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) library, comprising 87 snail specimens from the respective countries, was built and sequenced on an Illumina HiSeq 2000 platform. Reads were mapped against S. bovis and S. haematobium reference genomes to identify schistosome infections, and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were scored using the Stacks pipeline. These SNPs were used to estimate genetic diversity, assess population structure and construct phylogenetic trees of B. truncatus. Results A total of 10,750 SNPs were scored and used in downstream analyses. The phylogenetic analysis identified five clades, each consisting of snails from a single country but with two distinct clades within Senegal. Genetic diversity was low in all populations, reflecting high selfing rates, but varied between locations due to habitat variability. Significant genetic differentiation and isolation by distance patterns were observed at both spatial scales, indicating that gene flow is not strong enough to counteract the effects of population bottlenecks, high selfing rates and genetic drift. Remarkably, the population genetic differentiation on a regional scale (i.e. within Senegal) was as large as that between populations on an inter-regional scale. The blind GBS technique was able to pick up parasite DNA in snail tissue, demonstrating the potential of HTS techniques to further elucidate the role of snail species in parasite transmission. Conclusions HTS techniques offer a valuable toolbox to further investigate the population genetic patterns of intermediate schistosome host snails and the role of snail species in parasite transmission. Graphical Abstract ![]()
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13071-022-05445-x.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Maes
- Department of Biology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, 3000, Leuven, Belgium. .,Royal Museum for Central Africa, Leuvensesteenweg 13, 3080, Tervuren, Belgium.
| | - Zoë De Corte
- Royal Museum for Central Africa, Leuvensesteenweg 13, 3080, Tervuren, Belgium.,Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Vautierstraat 29, 1000, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Carl Vangestel
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Vautierstraat 29, 1000, Brussels, Belgium.,Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Nathalie Smitz
- Royal Museum for Central Africa, Leuvensesteenweg 13, 3080, Tervuren, Belgium
| | | | - Maria Ioanna Papadaki
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Tine Huyse
- Department of Biology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.,Royal Museum for Central Africa, Leuvensesteenweg 13, 3080, Tervuren, Belgium
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5
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Kurucz K, Zeghbib S, Arnoldi D, Marini G, Manica M, Michelutti A, Montarsi F, Deblauwe I, Van Bortel W, Smitz N, Pfitzner WP, Czajka C, Jöst A, Kalan K, Šušnjar J, Ivović V, Kuczmog A, Lanszki Z, Tóth GE, Somogyi BA, Herczeg R, Urbán P, Bueno-Marí R, Soltész Z, Kemenesi G. Aedes koreicus, a vector on the rise: Pan-European genetic patterns, mitochondrial and draft genome sequencing. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0269880. [PMID: 35913994 PMCID: PMC9342712 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background
The mosquito Aedes koreicus (Edwards, 1917) is a recent invader on the European continent that was introduced to several new places since its first detection in 2008. Compared to other exotic Aedes mosquitoes with public health significance that invaded Europe during the last decades, this species’ biology, behavior, and dispersal patterns were poorly investigated to date.
Methodology/Principal findings
To understand the species’ population relationships and dispersal patterns within Europe, a fragment of the cytochrome oxidase I (COI or COX1) gene was sequenced from 130 mosquitoes, collected from five countries where the species has been introduced and/or established. Oxford Nanopore and Illumina sequencing techniques were combined to generate the first complete nuclear and mitochondrial genomic sequences of Ae. koreicus from the European region. The complete genome of Ae. koreicus is 879 Mb. COI haplotype analyses identified five major groups (altogether 31 different haplotypes) and revealed a large-scale dispersal pattern between European Ae. koreicus populations. Continuous admixture of populations from Belgium, Italy, and Hungary was highlighted, additionally, haplotype diversity and clustering indicate a separation of German sequences from other populations, pointing to an independent introduction of Ae. koreicus to Europe. Finally, a genetic expansion signal was identified, suggesting the species might be present in more locations than currently detected.
Conclusions/Significance
Our results highlight the importance of genetic research of invasive mosquitoes to understand general dispersal patterns, reveal main dispersal routes and form the baseline of future mitigation actions. The first complete genomic sequence also provides a significant leap in the general understanding of this species, opening the possibility for future genome-related studies, such as the detection of ‘Single Nucleotide Polymorphism’ markers. Considering its public health importance, it is crucial to further investigate the species’ population genetic dynamic, including a larger sampling and additional genomic markers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kornélia Kurucz
- Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- National Laboratory of Virology, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- * E-mail:
| | - Safia Zeghbib
- Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- National Laboratory of Virology, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Daniele Arnoldi
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all’Adige, Trento, Italy
| | - Giovanni Marini
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all’Adige, Trento, Italy
| | - Mattia Manica
- Center for Health Emergencies, Bruno Kessler Foundation, Trento, Italy
| | - Alice Michelutti
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Micology and Medical Entomology, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Padova, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Montarsi
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Micology and Medical Entomology, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Padova, Italy
| | - Isra Deblauwe
- Entomology Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Wim Van Bortel
- Entomology Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
- Outbreak Research team, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Nathalie Smitz
- Department of Biology, Royal Museum for Central Africa (BopCo), Tervuren, Belgium
| | - Wolf Peter Pfitzner
- Kommunale Aktionsgemeinschaft zur Bekämpfung der Schnakenplage e.V. (KABS e.V.), Speyer, Germany
| | - Christina Czajka
- Kommunale Aktionsgemeinschaft zur Bekämpfung der Schnakenplage e.V. (KABS e.V.), Speyer, Germany
| | - Artur Jöst
- Kommunale Aktionsgemeinschaft zur Bekämpfung der Schnakenplage e.V. (KABS e.V.), Speyer, Germany
| | - Katja Kalan
- Department of Biodiversity, University of Primorska, Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies, Koper, Slovenia
| | - Jana Šušnjar
- Department of Biodiversity, University of Primorska, Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies, Koper, Slovenia
| | - Vladimir Ivović
- Department of Biodiversity, University of Primorska, Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies, Koper, Slovenia
| | - Anett Kuczmog
- Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- National Laboratory of Virology, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Zsófia Lanszki
- Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- National Laboratory of Virology, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Gábor Endre Tóth
- Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- National Laboratory of Virology, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Balázs A. Somogyi
- Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- National Laboratory of Virology, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Róbert Herczeg
- Bioinformatics Research Group, Genomics and Bioinformatics Core Facility, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Péter Urbán
- Bioinformatics Research Group, Genomics and Bioinformatics Core Facility, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Rubén Bueno-Marí
- Department of Research and Development, Laboratorios Lokímica, Paterna, Valencia, Spain
- Parasite & Health Research Group, Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Technology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Valencia, Burjassot, Valencia, Spain
| | - Zoltán Soltész
- Centre for Ecological Research, Eötvös Lóránd Research Network, Vácrátót, Hungary
| | - Gábor Kemenesi
- Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- National Laboratory of Virology, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
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Deblauwe I, Brosens D, De Wolf K, Smitz N, Vanslembrouck A, Schneider A, De Witte J, Verlé I, Dekoninck W, De Meyer M, Backeljau T, Gombeer S, Meganck K, Vanderheyden A, Müller R, Van Bortel W. MEMO: Monitoring of exotic mosquitoes in Belgium. GigaByte 2022; 2022:gigabyte59. [PMID: 36824526 PMCID: PMC9930500 DOI: 10.46471/gigabyte.59] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
'MEMO Monitoring of Exotic MOsquitoes in Belgium' is a sampling event dataset published by the Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM) in Antwerp, Belgium. It forms part of the early detection of exotic mosquito species (EMS) along high-risk introduction routes in Belgium, where data are collected at defined points of entry (PoEs) using a standardised protocol. The MEMO dataset contains mosquito sampling counts performed between 2017 and 2020. MEMO+2020, an extension of the MEMO dataset, contains only Aedes albopictus mosquito trap counts performed in 2020. Here, we present these data published as a standardised Darwin Core archive, which includes, for each sampling event, an eventID, date, location and sampling protocol (in the event core); and an occurrenceID for each occurrence (tube), the number of collected individuals per tube, species status (present/absent), information on the identification and scientific name (in the occurrence extension).
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Affiliation(s)
- Isra Deblauwe
- Unit Entomology, Dept. of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM), Nationalestraat 155, 2000, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Dimitri Brosens
- Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Havenlaan 88 b73, 1000, Brussels, Belgium, Corresponding author. E-mail:
| | - Katrien De Wolf
- Unit Entomology, Dept. of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM), Nationalestraat 155, 2000, Antwerpen, Belgium,Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Dept. of Biology,
Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Nathalie Smitz
- Royal Museum for Central Africa (RMCA - BopCo), Leuvensesteenweg 17, 3080 Tervuren, Belgium
| | - Adwine Vanslembrouck
- Unit Entomology, Dept. of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM), Nationalestraat 155, 2000, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Anna Schneider
- Unit Entomology, Dept. of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM), Nationalestraat 155, 2000, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Jacobus De Witte
- Unit Entomology, Dept. of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM), Nationalestraat 155, 2000, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Ingrid Verlé
- Unit Entomology, Dept. of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM), Nationalestraat 155, 2000, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Wouter Dekoninck
- Royal Belgian Belgian Institute for Natural Sciences (RBINS - BopCo & Scientific Heritage Service), Vautierstraat 29, 1000, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Marc De Meyer
- Royal Museum for Central Africa (RMCA - BopCo), Leuvensesteenweg 17, 3080 Tervuren, Belgium
| | - Thierry Backeljau
- Royal Belgian Belgian Institute for Natural Sciences (RBINS - BopCo & Scientific Heritage Service), Vautierstraat 29, 1000, Brussels, Belgium,Evolutionary Ecology Group, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Sophie Gombeer
- Royal Belgian Belgian Institute for Natural Sciences (RBINS - BopCo & Scientific Heritage Service), Vautierstraat 29, 1000, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Kenny Meganck
- Royal Museum for Central Africa (RMCA - BopCo), Leuvensesteenweg 17, 3080 Tervuren, Belgium
| | - Ann Vanderheyden
- Royal Museum for Central Africa (RMCA - BopCo), Leuvensesteenweg 17, 3080 Tervuren, Belgium
| | - Ruth Müller
- Unit Entomology, Dept. of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM), Nationalestraat 155, 2000, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Wim Van Bortel
- Unit Entomology, Dept. of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM), Nationalestraat 155, 2000, Antwerpen, Belgium,Outbreak Research team, Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM), Nationalestraat 155, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
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7
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Van Bortel W, Van den Poel B, Hermans G, Vanden Driessche M, Molzahn H, Deblauwe I, De Wolf K, Schneider A, Van Hul N, Müller R, Wilmaerts L, Gombeer S, Smitz N, Kattenberg JH, Monsieurs P, Rosanas-Urgell A, Van Esbroeck M, Bottieau E, Maniewski-Kelner U, Rebolledo J. Two fatal autochthonous cases of airport malaria, Belgium, 2020. Euro Surveill 2022; 27. [PMID: 35451360 PMCID: PMC9027149 DOI: 10.2807/1560-7917.es.2022.27.16.2100724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
We report an outbreak investigation of two fatal cases of autochthonous Plasmodium falciparum malaria that occurred in Belgium in September 2020. Various hypotheses of the potential source of infection were investigated. The most likely route of transmission was through an infectious exotic Anopheles mosquito that was imported via the international airport of Brussels or the military airport Melsbroek and infected the cases who lived at 5 km from the airports. Based on genomic analysis of the parasites collected from the two cases, the most likely origin of the Plasmodium was Gabon or Cameroon. Further, the parasites collected from the two Belgian patients were identical by descent, which supports the assumption that the two infections originated from the bite of the same mosquito, during interrupted feeding. Although airport malaria remains a rare event, it has significant implications, particularly for the patient, as delayed or missed diagnosis of the cause of illness often results in complications and mortality. Therefore, to prevent such severe or fatal outcomes, we suggest a number of public health actions including increased awareness among health practitioners, especially those working in the vicinity of airports, and increased surveillance of exotic mosquito species at airports.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wim Van Bortel
- Unit of Entomology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.,Outbreak Research Team, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Bea Van den Poel
- Clinical Laboratory, Jan Portaels General Hospital, Vilvoorde, Belgium
| | - Greet Hermans
- Medical Intensive Care Unit, Department of General Internal Medicine, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Helmut Molzahn
- Intensive Care Unit, Jan Portaels General Hospital, Vilvoorde, Belgium
| | - Isra Deblauwe
- Unit of Entomology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Katrien De Wolf
- Unit of Entomology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Anna Schneider
- Unit of Entomology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Nick Van Hul
- Unit of Entomology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Ruth Müller
- Unit of Entomology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Leen Wilmaerts
- Veterinary Service, Military Hospital Queen Astrid, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sophie Gombeer
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Barcoding Facility for Organisms and Tissues of Policy Concern (BopCo), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Nathalie Smitz
- Royal Museum for Central Africa, Barcoding Facility for Organisms and Tissues of Policy Concern (BopCo), Tervuren, Belgium
| | - Johanna Helena Kattenberg
- Unit of Malariology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Pieter Monsieurs
- Unit of Malariology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Anna Rosanas-Urgell
- Unit of Malariology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Marjan Van Esbroeck
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Emmanuel Bottieau
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Ula Maniewski-Kelner
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Javiera Rebolledo
- Department of epidemiology and infectious diseases, Sciensano, Brussels, Belgium
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Deblauwe I, Ibáñez-Justicia A, De Wolf K, Smitz N, Schneider A, Stroo A, Jacobs F, Vanslembrouck A, Gombeer S, Dekoninck W, Müller R, Van Bortel W. First Detections of Culiseta longiareolata (Diptera: Culicidae) in Belgium and the Netherlands. J Med Entomol 2021; 58:2524-2532. [PMID: 34313772 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjab127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [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: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Culiseta (Allotheobaldia) longiareolata (Macquart) (Diptera: Culicidae) is an ornithophilic mosquito species that occurs in the southern Palaearctic Region from the Azores to Central Asia, the Ethiopian Region, India, and Pakistan. Although it has a widespread distribution range, the species was only recently reported in Western and Central Europe. Between 2017 and 2020, larvae, pupae, and adults of Cs. longiareolata (n = 161) were found at 13 distinct locations in Belgium (n = 4) and The Netherlands (n = 9). Collected mosquitoes were morphologically identified and the identification was then validated by COI DNA barcoding. These are the first records of the species in the above-mentioned countries. The present results suggest that Cs. longiareolata could be increasing its distribution range in temperate regions, indicating a warming climate. As the species might be a potential vector of bird pathogens (e.g., West Nile virus), its spread in Western Europe is noteworthy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isra Deblauwe
- Unit of Entomology, Department of Biomedical sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Adolfo Ibáñez-Justicia
- Centre for Monitoring of Vectors (CMV), Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA), Geertjesweg, EA Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Katrien De Wolf
- Unit of Entomology, Department of Biomedical sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Nathalie Smitz
- Royal Museum for Central Africa (BopCo), Leuvensesteenweg, Tervuren, Belgium
| | - Anna Schneider
- Unit of Entomology, Department of Biomedical sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Arjan Stroo
- Centre for Monitoring of Vectors (CMV), Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA), Geertjesweg, EA Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Frans Jacobs
- Centre for Monitoring of Vectors (CMV), Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA), Geertjesweg, EA Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Adwine Vanslembrouck
- Unit of Entomology, Department of Biomedical sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat, Antwerp, Belgium
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (Scientific Heritage Service & BopCo), Vautierstraat, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sophie Gombeer
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (Scientific Heritage Service & BopCo), Vautierstraat, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Wouter Dekoninck
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (Scientific Heritage Service & BopCo), Vautierstraat, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ruth Müller
- Unit of Entomology, Department of Biomedical sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Wim Van Bortel
- Unit of Entomology, Department of Biomedical sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat, Antwerp, Belgium
- Outbreak Research Team, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat, Antwerp, Belgium
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9
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Smitz N, De Wolf K, Gheysen A, Deblauwe I, Vanslembrouck A, Meganck K, De Witte J, Schneider A, Verlé I, Dekoninck W, Gombeer S, Vanderheyden A, De Meyer M, Backeljau T, Müller R, Van Bortel W. DNA identification of species of the Anopheles maculipennis complex and first record of An. daciae in Belgium. Med Vet Entomol 2021; 35:442-450. [PMID: 33951205 PMCID: PMC8453948 DOI: 10.1111/mve.12519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The present study aimed at identifying the members of the Anopheles maculipennis complex (Diptera: Culicidae) occurring in Belgium. Therefore, the second internal transcribed spacer of nuclear ribosomal DNA (ITS2) and the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) loci were sequenced in 175 and 111 specimens, respectively, collected between 2007 and 2019. In parallel, the suitability of two species-diagnostic PCR-RFLP assays was tested. The identified specimens included: An. maculipennis s.s. (N = 105), An. daciae (N = 62), An. atroparvus (N = 6) and An. messeae (N = 2). Each species was characterized by unique ITS2 haplotypes, whereas COI only supported the monophyly of An. atroparvus, a historical malaria vector in Belgium. Species identification results were further supported by unique PCR-RFLP banding patterns. We report for the first time An. daciae in Belgium, where it was found to co-occur with An. maculipennis s.s. The latter was the most prevalent in the collection studied (60%) and appears to have the widest distribution in Belgium. As in other studies, An. daciae and An. messeae appeared the most closely related species, up to the point that their species status remains debatable, while their ecological differences, including vector competences, need further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- N. Smitz
- Royal Museum for Central Africa (BopCo & Biology Department)TervurenBelgium
| | - K. De Wolf
- The Unit of Entomology, Department of Biomedical SciencesInstitute of Tropical MedicineAntwerpBelgium
| | - A. Gheysen
- Royal Museum for Central Africa (BopCo & Biology Department)TervurenBelgium
| | - I. Deblauwe
- The Unit of Entomology, Department of Biomedical SciencesInstitute of Tropical MedicineAntwerpBelgium
| | - A. Vanslembrouck
- The Unit of Entomology, Department of Biomedical SciencesInstitute of Tropical MedicineAntwerpBelgium
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (BopCo & Scientific Heritage Service)BrusselsBelgium
| | - K. Meganck
- Royal Museum for Central Africa (BopCo & Biology Department)TervurenBelgium
| | - J. De Witte
- The Unit of Entomology, Department of Biomedical SciencesInstitute of Tropical MedicineAntwerpBelgium
| | - A. Schneider
- The Unit of Entomology, Department of Biomedical SciencesInstitute of Tropical MedicineAntwerpBelgium
| | - I. Verlé
- The Unit of Entomology, Department of Biomedical SciencesInstitute of Tropical MedicineAntwerpBelgium
| | - W. Dekoninck
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (BopCo & Scientific Heritage Service)BrusselsBelgium
| | - S. Gombeer
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (BopCo & Scientific Heritage Service)BrusselsBelgium
| | - A. Vanderheyden
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (BopCo & Scientific Heritage Service)BrusselsBelgium
| | - M. De Meyer
- Royal Museum for Central Africa (BopCo & Biology Department)TervurenBelgium
| | - T. Backeljau
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (BopCo & Scientific Heritage Service)BrusselsBelgium
- Evolutionary Ecology GroupUniversity of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
| | - R. Müller
- The Unit of Entomology, Department of Biomedical SciencesInstitute of Tropical MedicineAntwerpBelgium
| | - W. Van Bortel
- The Unit of Entomology, Department of Biomedical SciencesInstitute of Tropical MedicineAntwerpBelgium
- Outbreak Research TeamInstitute of Tropical MedicineAntwerpBelgium
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10
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Nsengimana V, Vanderheyden A, Gombeer S, Smitz N, Meganck K, De Meyer M, Backeljau T, Fisher BL, Dekoninck W. First record of the ant Pheidole megatron Fischer and Fisher, 2013 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Rwanda. African Zoology 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/15627020.2021.1901605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Venuste Nsengimana
- Department of Mathematics, Science and Physical Education, College of Education, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
- Centre of Excellence in Biodiversity and Natural Resources Management (CoEB), College of Science and Technology, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
| | - Ann Vanderheyden
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (BopCo), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sophie Gombeer
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (BopCo), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Nathalie Smitz
- Royal Museum for Central Africa (BopCo), Tervuren, Belgium
| | - Kenny Meganck
- Royal Museum for Central Africa (BopCo), Tervuren, Belgium
| | - Marc De Meyer
- Royal Museum for Central Africa (BopCo), Tervuren, Belgium
| | - Thierry Backeljau
- Royal Museum for Central Africa (BopCo), Tervuren, Belgium
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (Scientific Heritage Service), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Brian L Fisher
- Entomology, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, California, United States
| | - Wouter Dekoninck
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (Scientific Heritage Service), Brussels, Belgium
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11
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Smitz N, De Wolf K, Deblauwe I, Kampen H, Schaffner F, De Witte J, Schneider A, Verlé I, Vanslembrouck A, Dekoninck W, Meganck K, Gombeer S, Vanderheyden A, De Meyer M, Backeljau T, Werner D, Müller R, Van Bortel W. Population genetic structure of the Asian bush mosquito, Aedes japonicus (Diptera, Culicidae), in Belgium suggests multiple introductions. Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:179. [PMID: 33766104 PMCID: PMC7995749 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-021-04676-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Aedes japonicus japonicus has expanded beyond its native range and has established in multiple European countries, including Belgium. In addition to the population located at Natoye, Belgium, locally established since 2002, specimens were recently collected along the Belgian border. The first objective of this study was therefore to investigate the origin of these new introductions, which were assumed to be related to the expansion of the nearby population in western Germany. Also, an intensive elimination campaign was undertaken at Natoye between 2012 and 2015, after which the species was declared to be eradicated. This species was re-detected in 2017, and thus the second objective was to investigate if these specimens resulted from a new introduction event and/or from a few undetected specimens that escaped the elimination campaign. METHODS Population genetic variation at nad4 and seven microsatellite loci was surveyed in 224 and 68 specimens collected in Belgium and Germany, respectively. German samples were included as reference to investigate putative introduction source(s). At Natoye, 52 and 135 specimens were collected before and after the elimination campaign, respectively, to investigate temporal changes in the genetic composition and diversity. RESULTS At Natoye, the genotypic microsatellite make-up showed a clear difference before and after the elimination campaign. Also, the population after 2017 displayed an increased allelic richness and number of private alleles, indicative of new introduction(s). However, the Natoye population present before the elimination programme is believed to have survived at low density. At the Belgian border, clustering results suggest a relation with the western German population. Whether the introduction(s) occur via passive human-mediated ground transport or, alternatively, by natural spread cannot be determined yet from the dataset. CONCLUSION Further introductions within Belgium are expected to occur in the near future, especially along the eastern Belgian border, which is at the front of the invasion of Ae. japonicus towards the west. Our results also point to the complexity of controlling invasive species, since 4 years of intense control measures were found to be not completely successful at eliminating this exotic at Natoye.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie Smitz
- Royal Museum for Central Africa (BopCo & Biology Department), Leuvensesteenweg 17, 3080, Tervuren, Belgium.
| | - Katrien De Wolf
- The Unit of Entomology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat 155, 2000, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Isra Deblauwe
- The Unit of Entomology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat 155, 2000, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Helge Kampen
- Friedrich Loeffler Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Südufer 10, 17493, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | | | - Jacobus De Witte
- The Unit of Entomology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat 155, 2000, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Anna Schneider
- The Unit of Entomology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat 155, 2000, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Ingrid Verlé
- The Unit of Entomology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat 155, 2000, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Adwine Vanslembrouck
- The Unit of Entomology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat 155, 2000, Antwerp, Belgium.,Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (BopCo & Scientific Heritage Service), Vautierstraat 29, 1000, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Wouter Dekoninck
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (BopCo & Scientific Heritage Service), Vautierstraat 29, 1000, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Kenny Meganck
- Royal Museum for Central Africa (BopCo & Biology Department), Leuvensesteenweg 17, 3080, Tervuren, Belgium
| | - Sophie Gombeer
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (BopCo & Scientific Heritage Service), Vautierstraat 29, 1000, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ann Vanderheyden
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (BopCo & Scientific Heritage Service), Vautierstraat 29, 1000, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Marc De Meyer
- Royal Museum for Central Africa (BopCo & Biology Department), Leuvensesteenweg 17, 3080, Tervuren, Belgium
| | - Thierry Backeljau
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (BopCo & Scientific Heritage Service), Vautierstraat 29, 1000, Brussels, Belgium.,Evolutionary Ecology Group, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Doreen Werner
- Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research, Eberswalder Straße 84, 15374, Müncheberg, Germany
| | - Ruth Müller
- The Unit of Entomology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat 155, 2000, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Wim Van Bortel
- The Unit of Entomology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat 155, 2000, Antwerp, Belgium.,Outbreak Research Team, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat 155, 2000, Antwerp, Belgium
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12
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Wat'senga Tezzo F, Fasine S, Manzambi Zola E, Marquetti MDC, Binene Mbuka G, Ilombe G, Mundeke Takasongo R, Smitz N, Bisset JA, Van Bortel W, Vanlerberghe V. High Aedes spp. larval indices in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:92. [PMID: 33522947 PMCID: PMC7852359 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-021-04588-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya and Zika are among the most important emerging infectious vector-borne diseases worldwide. In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), increases in cases of dengue and outbreaks of yellow fever and chikungunya have been reported since 2010. The main vectors of these arboviruses, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, have been reported in DRC, but there is a lack of detailed information on their presence and spread to guide disease control efforts. METHODS In 2018, two cross-sectional surveys were conducted in Kinshasa province (DRC), one in the rainy (January/February) and one in the dry season (July). Four hundred houses were visited in each of the four selected communes (N'Djili, Mont Ngafula, Lingwala and Kalamu). Within the peri-domestic area of each household, searches were conducted for larval habitats, which were then surveyed for the presence of Aedes larvae and pupae. A subset of the immature specimens were reared to adults for morphological identification followed by DNA barcoding of the specimens to validate identifications. RESULTS The most rural commune (Mont Ngafula) had the highest pupal index (number of Aedes spp. pupae per 100 inspected houses) at 246 (20) pupae/100 houses, and Breteau index (BI; number of containers positive for immature stages of Aedes spp. per 100 households) at 82.2 (19.5) positive containers/100 houses for the rainy (and dry) season, respectively. The BI was 21.5 (4.7), 36.7 (9.8) and 41.7 (7.5) in Kalamu, Lingwala and N'Djili in the rainy (and dry) season, respectively. The house index (number of houses positive for at least one container with immature stages of Aedes spp. per 100 inspected houses) was, on average, across all communes, 27.5% (7.6%); and the container index (number of containers positive for immature stages of Aedes spp. per 100 inspected containers) was 15.0% (10.0%) for the rainy (and dry) season, respectively. The vast majority of Aedes-positive containers were found outside the houses [adjusted odds ratio 27.4 (95% confidence interval 14.9-50.1)]. During the dry season, the most productive containers were the ones used for water storage, whereas in the rainy season rubbish and tires constituted key habitats. Both Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus were found. Anopheles larvae were found in different types of Aedes larval habitats, especially during the rainy season. CONCLUSIONS In both surveys and in all communes, the larval indices (BI) were higher than the arbovirus transmission threshold values established by the World Health Organization. Management strategies for controlling Aedes in Kinshasa need to target the key types of containers for Aedes larvae, which are mainly located in outdoor spaces, for larval habitat destruction or reduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francis Wat'senga Tezzo
- Unit of Entomology, Department of Parasitology, National Institute of Biomedical Research, 5345 Avenue De la Démocratie, Gombe, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Sylvie Fasine
- Unit of Entomology, Department of Parasitology, National Institute of Biomedical Research, 5345 Avenue De la Démocratie, Gombe, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Emile Manzambi Zola
- Unit of Entomology, Department of Parasitology, National Institute of Biomedical Research, 5345 Avenue De la Démocratie, Gombe, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Maria Del Carmen Marquetti
- Department of Vector Control, Instituto Medicina Tropical Pedro Kourí (IPK), Avenida Novia del Mediodía, KM 6 1/2, La Lisa, Havana, Cuba
| | - Guillaume Binene Mbuka
- Unit of Entomology, Department of Parasitology, National Institute of Biomedical Research, 5345 Avenue De la Démocratie, Gombe, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Gillon Ilombe
- Unit of Entomology, Department of Parasitology, National Institute of Biomedical Research, 5345 Avenue De la Démocratie, Gombe, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Richard Mundeke Takasongo
- Unit of Entomology, Department of Parasitology, National Institute of Biomedical Research, 5345 Avenue De la Démocratie, Gombe, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Nathalie Smitz
- Department of Biology, Royal Museum for Central Africa (BopCo), Leuvensesteenweg 13-17, Tervuren, Belgium
| | - Juan Andre Bisset
- Department of Vector Control, Instituto Medicina Tropical Pedro Kourí (IPK), Avenida Novia del Mediodía, KM 6 1/2, La Lisa, Havana, Cuba
| | - Wim Van Bortel
- Outbreak Research Team, Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM), Nationalestraat 155, Antwerp, Belgium
- Unit of Entomology, Biomedical Science Department, Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM), Nationalestraat 155, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Veerle Vanlerberghe
- Tropical Infectious Disease Group, Public Health Department, Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM), Nationalestraat 155, Antwerp, Belgium.
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13
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DE Wolf K, Vanderheyden A, Deblauwe I, Smitz N, Gombeer S, Vanslembrouck A, Meganck K, Dekoninck W, DE Meyer M, Backeljau T, Müller R, VAN Bortel W. First record of the West Nile virus bridge vector Culex modestus Ficalbi (Diptera: Culicidae) in Belgium, validated by DNA barcoding. Zootaxa 2021; 4920:zootaxa.4920.1.7. [PMID: 33756679 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4920.1.7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
A thorough knowledge of the presence and spatio-temporal distribution patterns of vector species are pivotal to assess the risk of mosquito-borne diseases in Europe. In 2018, a Culex larva was collected during routine monitoring activities to intercept exotic Aedes mosquito species in the port of Antwerp (Kallo, Belgium). The larva, collected from a pond in mid-September, was morphologically identified as Culex modestus, and this identification was subsequently confirmed by COI barcoding. It is the first confirmed record of this West Nile virus bridge vector in Belgium. The present study also demonstrates the value of DNA-based identification techniques to validate the presence of potential vector species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrien DE Wolf
- The Unit of Entomology, Dept. Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat 155, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium..
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14
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Ibáñez-Justicia A, Smitz N, den Hartog W, van de Vossenberg B, De Wolf K, Deblauwe I, Van Bortel W, Jacobs F, Vaux AGC, Medlock JM, Stroo A. Detection of Exotic Mosquito Species (Diptera: Culicidae) at International Airports in Europe. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2020; 17:ijerph17103450. [PMID: 32429218 PMCID: PMC7277938 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17103450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Revised: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In Europe, the air-borne accidental introduction of exotic mosquito species (EMS) has been demonstrated using mosquito surveillance schemes at Schiphol International Airport (Amsterdam, The Netherlands). Based upon these findings and given the increasing volume of air transport movements per year, the establishment of EMS after introduction via aircraft is being considered a potential risk. Here we present the airport surveillance results performed by the Centre for Monitoring of Vectors of the Netherlands, by the Monitoring of Exotic Mosquitoes (MEMO) project in Belgium, and by the Public Health England project on invasive mosquito surveillance. The findings of our study demonstrate the aircraft mediated transport of EMS into Europe from a wide range of possible areas in the world. Results show accidental introductions of Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus, as well as exotic Anopheles and Mansonia specimens. The findings of Ae. albopictus at Schiphol airport are the first evidence of accidental introduction of the species using this pathway in Europe. Furthermore, our results stress the importance of the use of molecular tools to validate the morphology-based species identifications. We recommend monitoring of EMS at airports with special attention to locations with a high movement of cargo and passengers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adolfo Ibáñez-Justicia
- Centre for Monitoring of Vectors, Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, Geertjesweg 15, 6706 EA Wageningen, The Netherlands; (W.d.H.); (F.J.); (A.S.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Nathalie Smitz
- Royal Museum for Central Africa (BopCo), Leuvensesteenweg 13–17, 3080 Tervuren, Belgium;
| | - Wietse den Hartog
- Centre for Monitoring of Vectors, Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, Geertjesweg 15, 6706 EA Wageningen, The Netherlands; (W.d.H.); (F.J.); (A.S.)
| | - Bart van de Vossenberg
- Molecular Biology Group, Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, Geertjesweg 15, 6706 EA Wageningen, The Netherlands;
| | - Katrien De Wolf
- Unit of Entomology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat 155, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium; (K.D.W.); (I.D.); (W.V.B.)
| | - Isra Deblauwe
- Unit of Entomology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat 155, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium; (K.D.W.); (I.D.); (W.V.B.)
| | - Wim Van Bortel
- Unit of Entomology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat 155, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium; (K.D.W.); (I.D.); (W.V.B.)
- Outbreak Research Team, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat 155, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Frans Jacobs
- Centre for Monitoring of Vectors, Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, Geertjesweg 15, 6706 EA Wageningen, The Netherlands; (W.d.H.); (F.J.); (A.S.)
| | - Alexander G. C. Vaux
- Medical Entomology and Zoonoses Ecology Group, Public Health England (PHE), Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JG, UK; (A.G.C.V.); (J.M.M.)
| | - Jolyon M. Medlock
- Medical Entomology and Zoonoses Ecology Group, Public Health England (PHE), Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JG, UK; (A.G.C.V.); (J.M.M.)
| | - Arjan Stroo
- Centre for Monitoring of Vectors, Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, Geertjesweg 15, 6706 EA Wageningen, The Netherlands; (W.d.H.); (F.J.); (A.S.)
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15
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Martin P, Sonet G, Smitz N, Backeljau T. Phylogenetic analysis of the Baikalodrilus species flock (Annelida: Clitellata: Naididae), an endemic genus to Lake Baikal (Russia). Zool J Linn Soc 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlz066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Lake Baikal is populated by an endemic genus of oligochaetes (Baikalodrilus), which currently comprises 24 morphospecies. The genus can be considered as a ‘species flock’. However, the validity of many species is questionable: the great similarity in their description and the lack of unequivocal diagnostic characters often lead species identification to an impasse. In order to clarify the systematics of this genus, we analysed two nuclear and two mitochondrial DNA markers of 40 Baikalodrilus specimens. DNA and morphological approaches are mostly congruent in suggesting ten candidate species, although two additional species are suspected. A reassessment of the taxonomic value of the morphological characteristics of Baikalodrilus suggests that there are few that can be used as distinctive, specific criteria in the genus. The association between candidate and nominal species remains problematic, except for three species identified prior to molecular analyses. Baikalodrilus trituberculum sp. nov. is described. Phylogenetic inferences suggests that the earliest split in Baikalodrilus and the time of divergence of most lineages corresponding to species are consistent with the hypothesis of a general rearrangement of the Baikal fauna, following major environmental changes due to a general cooling in the Early Pleistocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Martin
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, O.D. Taxonomy and Phylogeny, Belgium
| | - Gontran Sonet
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, O.D. Taxonomy and Phylogeny, Belgium
| | - Nathalie Smitz
- Royal Museum of Central Africa, Department of Biology (BopCo), Belgium
| | - Thierry Backeljau
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, O.D. Taxonomy and Phylogeny, Belgium
- University of Antwerp, Evolutionary Ecology Group, Belgium
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16
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Smitz N, Jouvenet O, Ambwene Ligate F, Crosmary WG, Ikanda D, Chardonnet P, Fusari A, Meganck K, Gillet F, Melletti M, Michaux JR. A genome-wide data assessment of the African lion (Panthera leo) population genetic structure and diversity in Tanzania. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0205395. [PMID: 30403704 PMCID: PMC6221261 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0205395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2017] [Accepted: 09/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The African lion (Panthera leo), listed as a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (Appendix II of CITES), is mainly impacted by indiscriminate killing and prey base depletion. Additionally, habitat loss by land degradation and conversion has led to the isolation of some subpopulations, potentially decreasing gene flow and increasing inbreeding depression risks. Genetic drift resulting from weakened connectivity between strongholds can affect the genetic health of the species. In the present study, we investigated the evolutionary history of the species at different spatiotemporal scales. Therefore, the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene (N = 128), 11 microsatellites (N = 103) and 9,103 SNPs (N = 66) were investigated in the present study, including a large sampling from Tanzania, which hosts the largest lion population among all African lion range countries. Our results add support that the species is structured into two lineages at the continental scale (West-Central vs East-Southern), underlining the importance of reviewing the taxonomic status of the African lion. Moreover, SNPs led to the identification of three lion clusters in Tanzania, whose geographical distributions are in the northern, southern and western regions. Furthermore, Tanzanian lion populations were shown to display good levels of genetic diversity with limited signs of inbreeding. However, their population sizes seem to have gradually decreased in recent decades. The highlighted Tanzanian African lion population genetic differentiation appears to have resulted from the combined effects of anthropogenic pressure and environmental/climatic factors, as further discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie Smitz
- Barcoding of Organisms and tissues of Policy Concern (BopCo)/Joint Experimental Molecular Unit (JEMU), Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium
- Conservation Genetics, Department of Life Sciences, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Olivia Jouvenet
- Conservation Genetics, Department of Life Sciences, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | | | | | - Dennis Ikanda
- Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute, Arusha, Tanzania
| | | | - Alessandro Fusari
- Fondation Internationale pour la Gestion de la Faune (IGF), Paris, France
| | - Kenny Meganck
- Barcoding of Organisms and tissues of Policy Concern (BopCo), Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium
| | - François Gillet
- Conservation Genetics, Department of Life Sciences, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Mario Melletti
- African Buffalo Initiative Group (AfBIG), IUCN/SSC/ASG, Rome, Italy
| | - Johan R. Michaux
- Conservation Genetics, Department of Life Sciences, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
- Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), UPR AGIRS, Campus International de Baillarguet, Montpellier, France
- * E-mail:
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17
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Smitz N, Cornélis D, Chardonnet P, Caron A, de Garine-Wichatitsky M, Jori F, Mouton A, Latinne A, Pigneur LM, Melletti M, Kanapeckas KL, Marescaux J, Pereira CL, Michaux J. Erratum to: genetic structure of fragmented southern populations of African Cape buffalo (Syncerus caffer caffer). BMC Evol Biol 2016; 16:17. [PMID: 26792580 PMCID: PMC4721056 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-016-0585-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2016] [Accepted: 01/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie Smitz
- Departement of Life Sciences-Conservation Genetics, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
| | - Daniel Cornélis
- Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), Montpellier, France
| | | | - Alexandre Caron
- Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), Montpellier, France.,Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD)-RP-PCP, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe.,Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Michel de Garine-Wichatitsky
- Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), Montpellier, France.,Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD)-RP-PCP, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Ferran Jori
- Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), Montpellier, France.,Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.,Department of Animal Science and Production, Botswana College of Agriculture, Gaborone, Botswana
| | - Alice Mouton
- Departement of Life Sciences-Conservation Genetics, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Alice Latinne
- Departement of Life Sciences-Conservation Genetics, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.,Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution-CNRS-IRD, Université de Montpellier 2, Montpellier, France.,Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Lise-Marie Pigneur
- Research Unit in Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
| | | | - Kimberly L Kanapeckas
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.,Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, USA
| | - Jonathan Marescaux
- Research Unit in Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
| | | | - Johan Michaux
- Departement of Life Sciences-Conservation Genetics, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
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18
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Smitz N, Cornélis D, Chardonnet P, Caron A, de Garine-Wichatitsky M, Jori F, Mouton A, Latinne A, Pigneur LM, Melletti M, Kanapeckas KL, Marescaux J, Pereira CL, Michaux J. Genetic structure of fragmented southern populations of African Cape buffalo (Syncerus caffer caffer). BMC Evol Biol 2014; 14:203. [PMID: 25367154 PMCID: PMC4232705 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-014-0203-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2014] [Accepted: 09/16/2014] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND African wildlife experienced a reduction in population size and geographical distribution over the last millennium, particularly since the 19th century as a result of human demographic expansion, wildlife overexploitation, habitat degradation and cattle-borne diseases. In many areas, ungulate populations are now largely confined within a network of loosely connected protected areas. These metapopulations face gene flow restriction and run the risk of genetic diversity erosion. In this context, we assessed the "genetic health" of free ranging southern African Cape buffalo populations (S.c. caffer) and investigated the origins of their current genetic structure. The analyses were based on 264 samples from 6 southern African countries that were genotyped for 14 autosomal and 3 Y-chromosomal microsatellites. RESULTS The analyses differentiated three significant genetic clusters, hereafter referred to as Northern (N), Central (C) and Southern (S) clusters. The results suggest that splitting of the N and C clusters occurred around 6000 to 8400 years ago. Both N and C clusters displayed high genetic diversity (mean allelic richness (A r ) of 7.217, average genetic diversity over loci of 0.594, mean private alleles (P a ) of 11), low differentiation, and an absence of an inbreeding depression signal (mean F IS = 0.037). The third (S) cluster, a tiny population enclosed within a small isolated protected area, likely originated from a more recent isolation and experienced genetic drift (F IS = 0.062, mean A r = 6.160, P a = 2). This study also highlighted the impact of translocations between clusters on the genetic structure of several African buffalo populations. Lower differentiation estimates were observed between C and N sampling localities that experienced translocation over the last century. CONCLUSIONS We showed that the current genetic structure of southern African Cape buffalo populations results from both ancient and recent processes. The splitting time of N and C clusters suggests that the current pattern results from human-induced factors and/or from the aridification process that occurred during the Holocene period. The more recent S cluster genetic drift probably results of processes that occurred over the last centuries (habitat fragmentation, diseases). Management practices of African buffalo populations should consider the micro-evolutionary changes highlighted in the present study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie Smitz
- />Departement of Life Sciences-Conservation Genetics, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Daniel Cornélis
- />Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), Montpellier, France
| | | | - Alexandre Caron
- />Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), Montpellier, France
- />Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD)-RP-PCP, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe
- />Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Michel de Garine-Wichatitsky
- />Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), Montpellier, France
- />Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD)-RP-PCP, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe
- />Department of Biological Sciences, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Ferran Jori
- />Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), Montpellier, France
- />Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- />Department of Animal Science and Production, Botswana College of Agriculture, Gaborone, Botswana
| | - Alice Mouton
- />Departement of Life Sciences-Conservation Genetics, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Alice Latinne
- />Departement of Life Sciences-Conservation Genetics, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
- />Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution-CNRS-IRD, Université de Montpellier 2, Montpellier, France
- />Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Lise-Marie Pigneur
- />Research Unit in Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
| | - Mario Melletti
- />Independent researcher, Via Di Villa Chigi, Rome, Italy
| | - Kimberly L Kanapeckas
- />Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- />Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, USA
| | - Jonathan Marescaux
- />Research Unit in Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
| | | | - Johan Michaux
- />Departement of Life Sciences-Conservation Genetics, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
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