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Heliyon Mar 2023Phlebotomine sandflies have a long history of association with humans, which makes them the only proven natural vectors of species, the parasitic protozoans that cause... (Review)
Review
Phlebotomine sandflies have a long history of association with humans, which makes them the only proven natural vectors of species, the parasitic protozoans that cause leishmaniases in humans and animals. In Ethiopia, the three forms of leishmaniases, ., visceral, dermal and mucocutaneous are endemic in different parts of the country. Since the first report of phlebotomine sandflies in Ethiopia in 1936, the distribution of different species and their role in the transmission of leishmaniases have been extensively studied. The objective of this review was to summarize the patchy information and give an updated list of phlebotomine sandfly species in Ethiopia and their known geographical distribution in the country. Peer-reviewed literature search was conducted using online databases. All articles published which focus on distribution and medical importance of and species of Ethiopia starting from 1936 up to 2022 were reviewed. Until July 2022, 65 phlebotomine sandfly species have been reported, belonging to the genus and . The genus in Ethiopia is represented by six subgenera such as , , and whereas the genus is represented by six subgenera, namely , , , and .
PubMed: 36925525
DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e14344 -
Viruses Aug 2022According to ICTV, there are currently 66 known phlebovirus species. More than 40 of these viruses were isolated or detected in phlebotomine sandflies and some of them... (Review)
Review
According to ICTV, there are currently 66 known phlebovirus species. More than 40 of these viruses were isolated or detected in phlebotomine sandflies and some of them are known pathogens. In Portugal, information about sandfly-borne phleboviruses is scarce and scattered sandfly-borne diseases are neglected and often not considered in differential diagnoses. The main objective of this work was to gather the existing information and to raise awareness about the circulating phleboviruses in this country. To date, Massilia and Alcube phleboviruses have been isolated from sandflies in southern Portugal. Human infections with Toscana and Sicilian phleboviruses have been reported, as well as seroprevalence in cats and dogs. More studies are needed in order to understand if the viruses isolated during the entomological surveys have an impact on human health and to fully understand the real importance of the already recognized pathogens in our country.
Topics: Animals; Cats; Dogs; Humans; Phlebotomus Fever; Phlebovirus; Portugal; Psychodidae; Seroepidemiologic Studies
PubMed: 36016390
DOI: 10.3390/v14081768 -
Frontiers in Cellular and Infection... 2023is a zoonotic Old World parasite transmitted by Phlebotomine sand flies and causing cutaneous leishmaniasis in Ethiopia and Kenya. Despite a range of clinical...
is a zoonotic Old World parasite transmitted by Phlebotomine sand flies and causing cutaneous leishmaniasis in Ethiopia and Kenya. Despite a range of clinical manifestations and a high prevalence of treatment failure, is one of the most neglected species of the genus in terms of scientific attention. Here, we explored the genome diversity of by analyzing the genomes of twenty isolates from Ethiopia. Phylogenomic analyses identified two strains as interspecific hybrids involving as one parent and and respectively as the other parent. High levels of genome-wide heterozygosity suggest that these two hybrids are equivalent to F1 progeny that propagated mitotically since the initial hybridization event. Analyses of allelic read depths further revealed that the - hybrid was diploid and the - hybrid was triploid, as has been described for other interspecific hybrids. When focusing on , we show that this species is genetically highly diverse and consists of both asexually evolving strains and groups of recombining parasites. A remarkable observation is that some strains showed an extensive loss of heterozygosity across large regions of the nuclear genome, which likely arose from gene conversion/mitotic recombination. Hence, our prospection of genomics revealed new insights into the genomic consequences of both meiotic and mitotic recombination in .
Topics: Animals; Leishmania; Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous; Psychodidae; Phylogeny; Nucleic Acid Hybridization
PubMed: 37153154
DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1147998 -
Transactions of the Royal Society of... Sep 2023Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a parasitic vector-borne disease affecting mostly low- and middle-income countries. CL is endemic in Guatemala, where an increase in the... (Review)
Review
Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a parasitic vector-borne disease affecting mostly low- and middle-income countries. CL is endemic in Guatemala, where an increase in the number of cases and incidence and a changing disease distribution in the past decade have been reported. Important research was conducted in Guatemala in the 1980s and 1990s to understand the epidemiology of CL and two Leishmania species were identified as the aetiologic agents. Several species of sand flies have been reported, five of which are naturally infected with Leishmania. Clinical trials conducted in the country evaluated different treatments against the disease and provided solid evidence for CL control strategies that are applicable worldwide. More recently, in the 2000s and 2010s, qualitative surveys were conducted to understand community perceptions of the disease and to highlight the challenges and enablers for disease control. However, limited recent data have been generated regarding the current CL situation in Guatemala, and key information necessary for effective disease control, such as incrimination of vectors and reservoirs, is still lacking. This review describes the current state of knowledge of CL in Guatemala, including the main parasite and sand fly species, disease reservoirs, diagnosis and control, as well as the perceptions of communities in endemic regions.
Topics: Animals; Guatemala; Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous; Leishmania; Phlebotomus; Psychodidae; Leishmaniasis
PubMed: 37103337
DOI: 10.1093/trstmh/trad024 -
Frontiers in Cellular and Infection... 2022Parasites of the genus , together with the genus , form a sister clade to the species-rich and medically important genus . Both species, and , are dixenous parasites...
Parasites of the genus , together with the genus , form a sister clade to the species-rich and medically important genus . Both species, and , are dixenous parasites of Neotropical porcupines. Almost 50 years after their first discovery, knowledge of their life cycle remains poor and their insect vectors are unknown. Because competent vectors of their closest phylogenetic relatives, genera and , are phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) and/or biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), we examined here the potential of both sand flies and biting midges to transmit parasites. The insects ( and ) were exposed to parasites through the chicken skin membrane and dissected at various time intervals post bloodmeal. Potentially infected females were also allowed to feed on the ears of anaesthetized BALB/c mice and the presence of parasite DNA was subsequently confirmed in the mice by PCR. did not survive defecation in or , suggesting that these sand fly species are unlikely to serve as natural vectors of this parasite. Similarly, infections were lost in midges. In contrast, mature infections developed in 51-61% of females, 7.3% of females and 7.7% of females. In all three vector species, colonized predominantly Malpighian tubules and produced metacyclic infective forms. Transmission of to BALB/c mice was demonstrated the prediuresis of females. This mode of transmission, as well the colonization of Malpighian tubules as the dominant tissue of the vector, is unique among trypanosomatids. In conclusion, we demonstrated the vector competence of for but not for , and further studies are needed to evaluate competence of other Neotropical vectors for these neglected parasites.
Topics: Animals; Female; Insect Vectors; Leishmania; Life Cycle Stages; Mice; Phylogeny; Psychodidae
PubMed: 36034718
DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.981071 -
MBio Dec 2022Genetic exchange between different strains in the sand fly vector has been experimentally demonstrated and is supported by population genetic studies. In nature,...
Genetic exchange between different strains in the sand fly vector has been experimentally demonstrated and is supported by population genetic studies. In nature, opportunities for interstrain mating are restricted to flies biting multiply infected hosts or through multiple bites of different hosts. In contrast, self-mating could occur in any infected sand fly. By crossing two recombinant lines derived from the same Leishmania major strain, each expressing a different drug-resistance marker, self-hybridization in L. major was confirmed in a natural sand fly vector, , and in frequencies comparable to interstrain crosses. We provide the first high resolution, whole-genome sequencing analysis of large numbers of selfing progeny, their parents, and parental subclones. Genetic exchange consistent with classical meiosis is supported by the biallelic inheritance of the rare homozygous single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that arose by mutation during the generation of the parental clones. In contrast, heterozygous SNPs largely failed to be transmitted in Mendelian ratios for reasons not understood. SNPs that were heterozygous in both parents, however, recombined to produce homozygous alleles in some hybrids. For trisomic chromosomes present in both parents, transmittal to the progeny was only altered by self-hybridization, involving a gain or loss of somy in frequencies predicted by a meiotic process. Whole-genome polyploidization was also observed in the selfing progeny. Thus, self-hybridization in , with its potential to occur in any infected sand fly, may be an important source of karyotype variation, loss of heterozygosity, and functional diversity. are parasitic protozoa that cause a wide spectrum of diseases collectively known as the leishmaniases. Sexual reproduction in has been proposed as an important source of genetic diversity and has been formally demonstrated to occur inside the sand fly vector midgut. Nevertheless, in the wild, opportunities for genetic exchange between different species or strains are restricted by the capacity of different strains to colonize the same sand fly. In this work, we report the first high resolution, whole-genome sequence analysis of intraclonal genetic exchange as a type of self-mating in Our data reveal that self-hybridization can occur with comparable frequency as interstrain mating under experimental lab conditions, leading to important genomic alterations that can potentially take place within every naturally infected sand fly.
Topics: Animals; Leishmania major; Phlebotomus; Psychodidae; Reproduction; Mutation
PubMed: 36394334
DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02858-22 -
Viruses Apr 2022A novel phlebovirus, Punique virus (PUNV), was discovered and isolated in 2008 from sandflies from Northern Tunisia. PUNV is now classified as a unique member of the...
A novel phlebovirus, Punique virus (PUNV), was discovered and isolated in 2008 from sandflies from Northern Tunisia. PUNV is now classified as a unique member of the Punique phlebovirus species within the Phlebovirus genus in the Phenuiviridae family (order bunyavirales). In this study, we aimed to investigate the transmission dynamics of PUNV in Tunisia. Sandflies were collected during two consecutive years, 2009 and 2010, by CDC light traps. In 2009, a total of 873 sandflies were collected and identified to the species level. Phlebotomus perniciosus was the most abundant species. One pool of P. perniciosus females collected in autumn contained PUNV RNA, yielding an infection rate of 0.11%. The population densities of circulating sandfly species were assessed during May-November 2010 in Northern Tunisia by using sticky traps. Phlebotomus (Larroussius) perniciosus (71.74%) was the most abundant species, followed by Phlebotumus (Larroussius) longicuspis (17.47%), and Phlebotumus (Larroussius) perfiliewi (8.82%). The densities of dominant sandfly species were found to peak in early spring and again in the autumn. In 2010, species identification was not performed, and sandflies were only discriminated on the basis of sex and collection date. Out of 249 pools, three contained PUNV RNA. Each positive pool allowed virus isolation. The three pools of female sandflies containing PUNV RNA were collected in autumn with an infection rate of 0.05%. These findings provide further evidence that P. perniciosus is the main vector of PUNV in Tunisia, and this phlebovirus is endemic in Tunisia. Our findings provided strong evidence of intensive circulation of PUNV in sandflies and hosts through a viral infection buildup process between sandfly vectors and hosts starting at the beginning of the activity of sandflies in spring to reach a maximum during the second main peak in autumn.
Topics: Animals; DNA Viruses; Female; Phlebotomus; Phlebovirus; Psychodidae; RNA, Viral; Tunisia; Viruses, Unclassified
PubMed: 35632646
DOI: 10.3390/v14050904 -
Turkiye Parazitolojii Dergisi Aug 2021Leishmaniasis is a protozoan parasitic disease transmitted to humans by infected female sand flies. Turkey has received more than three million immigrants from Syria...
Leishmaniasis is a protozoan parasitic disease transmitted to humans by infected female sand flies. Turkey has received more than three million immigrants from Syria because of the civil war and political instability. This study reported cases of two patients, who were from Syria and lived in Hatay, with cutaneous leishmaniasis and mucosal involvement. Two patients presented to the infectious diseases clinic with a complaint of facial lesions and were subsequently referred to the parasitology department laboratory. Smears were prepared from the lesions, stained with Giemsa and examined under a microscope. Moreover, aspirates taken from the patients' lesions were inoculated into the modified Novy-MacNeal-Nicolle medium. The diagnosis was made when amastigotes were detected in both smears. Proliferation of promastigotes was observed in one of the clinical specimens inoculated on the medium. By PZR-RFLP, Leishmania tropica were detected in the isolate. Both patients were treated with amphotericin B. One patient was treated again with a pentavalent antimony compound because of the recurrence of the lesion.
Topics: Animals; Antiprotozoal Agents; Azure Stains; Female; Humans; Leishmania tropica; Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous; Psychodidae
PubMed: 34346882
DOI: 10.4274/tpd.galenos.2021.21931 -
PLoS Pathogens Mar 2023Toscana virus (TOSV) (Bunyavirales, Phenuiviridae, Phlebovirus, Toscana phlebovirus) and other related human pathogenic arboviruses are transmitted by phlebotomine sand...
Toscana virus (TOSV) (Bunyavirales, Phenuiviridae, Phlebovirus, Toscana phlebovirus) and other related human pathogenic arboviruses are transmitted by phlebotomine sand flies. TOSV has been reported in nations bordering the Mediterranean Sea among other regions. Infection can result in febrile illness as well as meningitis and encephalitis. Understanding vector-arbovirus interactions is crucial to improving our knowledge of how arboviruses spread, and in this context, immune responses that control viral replication play a significant role. Extensive research has been conducted on mosquito vector immunity against arboviruses, with RNA interference (RNAi) and specifically the exogenous siRNA (exo-siRNA) pathway playing a critical role. However, the antiviral immunity of phlebotomine sand flies is less well understood. Here we were able to show that the exo-siRNA pathway is active in a Phlebotomus papatasi-derived cell line. Following TOSV infection, distinctive 21 nucleotide virus-derived small interfering RNAs (vsiRNAs) were detected. We also identified the exo-siRNA effector Ago2 in this cell line, and silencing its expression rendered the exo-siRNA pathway largely inactive. Thus, our data show that this pathway is active as an antiviral response against a sand fly transmitted bunyavirus, TOSV.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Sandfly fever Naples virus; Phlebotomus; Psychodidae; RNA Interference; Phlebovirus; Arboviruses; RNA, Small Interfering
PubMed: 36996243
DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011283 -
Revista Da Sociedade Brasileira de... 2020In Bolivia, before 1982 there were no records of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) cases that would allow us to review and describe the temporospatial occurrence of VL by...
INTRODUCTION
In Bolivia, before 1982 there were no records of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) cases that would allow us to review and describe the temporospatial occurrence of VL by ecoregions in provinces and departments of Bolivia to evaluate its impact on public health, risk of outbreaks, or dispersion.
METHODS
This update on VL in Bolivia is based on research, reviews, and retrospective literature analyses of online data and libraries and institutional reports, from 1939 to the present.
RESULTS
In Bolivia, 56 cases of VL have been reported. Until 2014, only three endemic departments had been identified (La Paz, Santa Cruz, and Tarija). Since then, further cases have been recorded in Pando, Cochabamba, and Beni, and in Chuquisaca in 2015. In Yungas, a VL focus was confirmed by isolating and comparing parasites from human and dog cases, and from the Lu. longipalpis vector. VL cases from seven departments, involving 12 different ecoregions were located within the Amazon and Plata basins.
CONCLUSIONS
We confirmed that dogs are its primary reservoir, and Lutzomyia longipalpis is its main vector (currently dispersed in six departments). The primary vectors in areas where Lutzomyia longipalpis is absent are Migonemyia migonei and Lutzomyia cruzi.
Topics: Adolescent; Animals; Bolivia; Brazil; Child; Child, Preschool; Dogs; Female; Humans; Insect Vectors; Leishmaniasis, Visceral; Male; Psychodidae; Retrospective Studies; Young Adult
PubMed: 33111904
DOI: 10.1590/0037-8682-0421-2019