The first report of blood parasites in the birds in Fasa district, Southern Iran

Physicochemical characteristics of larval habitats and biodiversity of mosquitoes in one of the most important metropolises of southern Iran

The present study aimed to investigate the roles of the physicochemical characteristics of larval habitats in biodiversity and other bionomic factors of mosquitoes in Shiraz. The physical parameters of all habitats were recorded separately. The collected mosquito larvae were identified based on morphological characters. The water samples of larval habitats were analyzed for Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD, mg/L), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD, mg/L), pH, alkalinity, turbidity, total hardness (mg/L), Electrical Conductivity (EC, μS/cm), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS, mg/L), Cl2 (mg/L), and water temperature (°C). In addition, three main indices were used for surveying biodiversity. A total of 1229 larvae were collected from April to September 2018 and May to August 2019. Seven medically important mosquito species were identified morphologically. Culex quinquefasciatus and Cx. laticinctus had the highest distribution and abundance. Ecological results showed that the richness and diversity of species were higher and more stable in natural sites than in manmade places. The optimum BOD, COD, alkalinity, TDS, EC, pH, and temperature of water for mosquitoes of the studied areas were 140 mg/L, 360 mg/L, 160 mg/L, 420 mg/L, 840 μS/cm, 8.3, and 24 °C, respectively. Most mosquitoes tended to live in manmade, temporary, and sunny larval habitats with turbid water. The results provided a better understanding of the biology and ecology of mosquitoes as the most important group of disease vectors to humans and animals. Hence, they could be used to apply some safer and more environmentally friendly methods for mosquito control.

Prevalence and Genetic Diversity of Avian Haemosporidian Parasites in Southern Iran

Avian haemosporidians are widespread and diverse and are classified in the genera Plasmodium, Haemoproteus, Leucocytozoon, and Fallisia. These species are known to cause haemosporidiosis and decreased fitness of their hosts. Despite the high diversity of habitats and animal species in Iran, only few studies have addressed avian haemosporidians in this geographic area. This study was performed in the south and southeast of Iran during the bird breeding seasons in 2017 and 2018, with the aim to partly fill in this gap. Blood samples of 237 passerine birds belonging to 41 species and 20 families were collected. Parasite infections were identified using a nested PCR protocol targeting a 479-base-pair fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome b (cytb) gene of Haemoproteus, Plasmodium and Leucocytozoon species. The overall prevalence of haemosporidian parasites was 51.1%, and 55 different lineages were identified, of which 15 cytb lineages were new globally. The lineages of Haemoproteus predominated (63.6% of all detected lineages), followed by Leucocytozoon and Plasmodium. Nineteen new host records of haemosporidian cytb lineages were identified, and the majority of them were found in resident bird species, indicating local transmission. Thirteen co-infections (9.8% of infected individuals) of Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon parasites in seven host species were observed. This study shows the presence of active local transmission of parasites to resident bird species in the southeast of Iran and contributes to the knowledge on haemosporidian parasite biodiversity in this poorly studied region of the world.

Dynamics of prevalence and distribution pattern of avian Plasmodium species and its vectors in diverse zoogeographical areas - A review

Avian Plasmodium is of special interest to health care scientists and veterinarians due to the potency of causing avian malaria in non-adapted birds and their evolutionary phylogenetic relationship with human malaria species. This article aimed to provide a comprehensive list of the common avian Plasmodium parasites in the birds and mosquitoes, to specify the common Plasmodium species and lineages in the selected regions of West of Asia, East of Europe, and North of Africa/Middle East, and to determine the contribution of generalist and host-specific Plasmodium species and lineages. The final list of published infected birds includes 146 species, among which Passer domesticus was the most prevalent in the studied areas. The species of Acrocephalus arundinaceus and Sylvia atricapilla were reported as common infected hosts in the examined regions of three continents. The highest numbers of common species of infected birds between continent pairs were from Asia and Europe, and no common record was found from Europe and Africa. The species of Milvus migrans and Upupa epops were recorded as common species from Asia and Africa. The lineage of GRW11 and species of P. relictum were the most prevalent parasites among all the infection records in birds. The most prevalent genus of vectors of avian malaria belonged to Culex and species of Cx. pipiens. The lineage SGS1 with the highest number of occurrence has been found in various vectors comprising Cx. pipiens, Cx. modestus, Cx. theileri, Cx. sasai, Cx. perexiguus, Lutzia vorax, and Culicoides alazanicus. A total of 31 Plasmodium species and 59 Plasmodium lineages were recorded from these regions. SGS1, GRW04, and GRW11, and P. relictum and P. vaughani are specified as common generalist avian malaria parasites from these three geographic areas. The presence of avian Plasmodium parasites in distant geographic areas and various hosts may be explained by the movement of the infected birds through the migration routes. Although most recorded lineages were from Asia, investigating the distribution of lineages in some of the countries has not been done. Thus, the most important outcome of this review is the determination of the distribution pattern of parasite and vector species that shed light on gaps requiring further studies on the monitoring of avian Plasmodium and common vectors extension. This task could be achieved through scientific field and laboratory networking, performing active surveillance and designing regional/continental control programs of birds' malaria and other zoonotic diseases.

A detailed review of the mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) of Iran and their medical and veterinary importance

Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) are the most significant arthropods of medical importance because of the burden of diseases, such as malaria, encephalitis and filariasis, which are caused by pathogens and parasites they transmit to humans. In 2007, the most recently published checklist of Iranian mosquitoes included 64 species representing seven genera. Public databases were searched to the end of August 2018 for publications concerning the diseases in Iran caused by mosquito-borne pathogens. Pertinent information was extracted and analyzed, and the checklist of Iranian mosquitoes was updated. Six arboviral diseases, two bacterial diseases, four helminthic diseases and two protozoal diseases occur in Iran. The agents of these diseases are biologically or mechanically known or assumed to be transmitted by mosquitoes. The updated checklist of Iranian mosquitoes includes 69 species representing seven or 11 genera depending on the generic classification of aedines. There is no published information about the role of mosquitoes in the transmission of the causal agents of avian malaria, avian pox, bovine ephemeral fever, dengue fever, Rift Valley fever, Sindbis fever, Deraiophoronema evansi infection, lymphatic filariasis, anthrax and tularemia in Iran. There is just one imported case of lymphatic filariasis, which is not endemic in the country. It seems arthropods do not play an important role in the epidemiology of anthrax and ixodid ticks are the main vectors of the tularemia bacterium. In view of the recent finding of only a few adults and larvae of Aedes albopictus in southeastern Iran and the absence of Ae. aegypti, it is not possible to infer the indigenous transmission of the dengue fever virus in Iran. Considering the importance of mosquito-borne diseases in the country, it is necessary to improve vector and vector-borne disease surveillance in order to apply the best integrated vector management interventions as a part of the One Health concept.