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Romero-Salas D, Sánchez-Montes S, Bravo-Ramos JL, Sánchez-Otero MG, Diaz-Lopez CG, Salguero-Romero JL, Cruz-Romero A. First report of Babesia bigemina in Lama glama in a zoological garden of Veracruz, Mexico. Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports 2022; 33:100756. [PMID: 35820724 DOI: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2022.100756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Zoological gardens represent specialised centres for the preservation of biological inventories and genetic diversity, allowing the recognition of multiple species in critical conservation categories. However, the close coexistence of multiple species of vertebrates that may be associated with various species of ectoparasites may be the cause of the transmission of multiple infectious agents, among which tick-borne pathogens stand out. In these areas, several animal species usually live in a small space and proximity to other wildlife, visitors and keepers. In Mexico, little is known about the disease agents transmitted by arthropods in zoological gardens. For this reason, the aim of this study was to identify the presence of Babesia/Theileria in animals maintained in captivity. As a part of a project identifying vector-borne pathogens in wildlife, 24 animals were sampled in the Miguel Angel de Quevedo zoo. Molecular identification of Babesia/Theileria was realised through amplification of a fragment of the mitochondrial cytB gene and the ribosomal 18S-rDNA. Two neotropical camelids (Lama glama) tested positive (2/3 = 66.6%) to Babesia bigemina. Our results represent the first record of B. bigemina in animals in captivity in a zoological garden in Mexico and the first finding of this haemoparasite in neotropical camelids in Mexico.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dora Romero-Salas
- Laboratorio de Parasitología, Posta Zootécnica Torreón del Molino, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Veracruzana, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Sokani Sánchez-Montes
- Centro de Medicina Tropical, Unidad de Investigación en Medicina Experimental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México City, Mexico; Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias región Tuxpan, Universidad Veracruzana, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - José L Bravo-Ramos
- Laboratorio de Parasitología, Posta Zootécnica Torreón del Molino, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Veracruzana, Veracruz, Mexico.
| | | | - Cinthya G Diaz-Lopez
- Laboratorio de Parasitología, Posta Zootécnica Torreón del Molino, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Veracruzana, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - José L Salguero-Romero
- Laboratorio de Parasitología, Posta Zootécnica Torreón del Molino, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Veracruzana, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Anabel Cruz-Romero
- Laboratorio de Parasitología, Posta Zootécnica Torreón del Molino, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Veracruzana, Veracruz, Mexico
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2
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Bertola M, Mazzucato M, Pombi M, Montarsi F. Updated occurrence and bionomics of potential malaria vectors in Europe: a systematic review (2000-2021). Parasit Vectors 2022; 15:88. [PMID: 35292106 PMCID: PMC8922938 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05204-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the eradication of malaria across most European countries in the 1960s and 1970s, the anopheline vectors are still present. Most of the malaria cases that have been reported in Europe up to the present time have been infections acquired in endemic areas by travelers. However, the possibility of acquiring malaria by locally infected mosquitoes has been poorly investigated in Europe, despite autochthonous malaria cases having been occasionally reported in several European countries. Here we present an update on the occurrence of potential malaria vector species in Europe. Adopting a systematic review approach, we selected 288 papers published between 2000 and 2021 for inclusion in the review based on retrieval of accurate information on the following Anopheles species: An. atroparvus, An. hyrcanus sensu lato (s.l.), An. labranchiae, An. maculipennis sensu stricto (s.s.), An. messeae/daciae, An. sacharovi, An. superpictus and An. plumbeus. The distribution of these potential vector species across Europe is critically reviewed in relation to areas of major presence and principal bionomic features, including vector competence to Plasmodium. Additional information, such as geographical details, sampling approaches and species identification methods, are also reported. We compare the information on each species extracted from the most recent studies to comparable information reported from studies published in the early 2000s, with particular reference to the role of each species in malaria transmission before eradication. The picture that emerges from this review is that potential vector species are still widespread in Europe, with the largest diversity in the Mediterranean area, Italy in particular. Despite information on their vectorial capacity being fragmentary, the information retrieved suggests a re-definition of the relative importance of potential vector species, indicating An. hyrcanus s.l., An. labranchiae, An. plumbeus and An. sacharovi as potential vectors of higher importance, while An. messeae/daciae and An. maculipennis s.s. can be considered to be moderately important species. In contrast, An. atroparvus and An. superpictus should be considered as vectors of lower importance, particularly in relation to their low anthropophily. The presence of gaps in current knowledge of vectorial systems in Europe becomes evident in this review, not only in terms of vector competence but also in the definition of sampling approaches, highlighting the need for further research to adopt the appropriate surveillance system for each species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michela Bertola
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale dell'Università 10, 35020, Legnaro, Italy
| | - Matteo Mazzucato
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale dell'Università 10, 35020, Legnaro, Italy
| | - Marco Pombi
- Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica e Malattie Infettive, Università di Roma "Sapienza", P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Roma, Italy.
| | - Fabrizio Montarsi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale dell'Università 10, 35020, Legnaro, Italy.,Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica e Malattie Infettive, Università di Roma "Sapienza", P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Roma, Italy
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Nunn CL, Vining AQ, Chakraborty D, Reiskind MH, Young HS. Effects of host extinction and vector preferences on vector-borne disease risk in phylogenetically structured host-hector communities. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0256456. [PMID: 34424937 PMCID: PMC8382198 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic disturbance impacts the phylogenetic composition and diversity of ecological communities. While changes in diversity are known to dramatically change species interactions and alter disease dynamics, the effects of phylogenetic changes in host and vector communities on disease have been relatively poorly studied. Using a theoretical model, we investigated how phylogeny and extinction influence network structural characteristics relevant to disease transmission in disturbed environments. We modelled a multi-host, multi-vector community as a bipartite ecological network, where nodes represent host and vector species and edges represent connections among them through vector feeding, and we simulated vector preferences and threat status on host and parasite phylogenies. We then simulated loss of hosts, including phylogenetically clustered losses, to investigate how extinction influences network structure. We compared effects of phylogeny and extinction to those of host specificity, which we predicted to strongly increase network modularity and reduce disease prevalence. The simulations revealed that extinction often increased modularity, with higher modularity as species loss increased, although not as much as increasing host specificity did. These results suggest that extinction itself, all else being equal, may reduce disease prevalence in disturbed communities. However, in real communities, systematic patterns in species loss (e.g. favoring high competence species) or changes in abundance may counteract these effects. Unexpectedly, we found that effects of phylogenetic signal in host and vector traits were relatively weak, and only important when phylogenetic signal of host and vector traits were similar, or when these traits both varied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles L. Nunn
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- Duke Global Health Institute, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Alexander Q. Vining
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- Graduate Program in Animal Behavior, UC Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Debapriyo Chakraborty
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- INRAE ENVT IHAP, National Veterinary School of Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Michael H. Reiskind
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Hillary S. Young
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America
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Hernandez-Colina A, Gonzalez-Olvera M, Lomax E, Townsend F, Maddox A, Hesson JC, Sherlock K, Ward D, Eckley L, Vercoe M, Lopez J, Baylis M. Blood-feeding ecology of mosquitoes in two zoological gardens in the United Kingdom. Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:249. [PMID: 34016159 PMCID: PMC8139098 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-021-04735-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Zoological gardens contain unique configurations of exotic and endemic animals and plants that create a diverse range of developing sites and potential sources of blood meals for local mosquitoes. This may imply unusual interspecific pathogen transmission risks involving zoo vertebrates, like avian malaria to captive penguins. Understanding mosquito ecology and host feeding patterns is necessary to improve mosquito control and disease prevention measures in these environments. METHODS Mosquito sampling took place in Chester Zoo for 3 years (2017, 2018, and 2019) and for 1 year in Flamingo Land (2017) using different trapping methods. Blood-fed mosquitoes were identified and their blood meal was amplified by PCR, sequenced, and blasted for host species identification. RESULTS In total, 640 blood-fed mosquitoes were collected [Culex pipiens (n = 497), Culiseta annulata (n = 81), Anopheles maculipennis s.l. (n = 7), An. claviger (n = 1), and unidentifiable (n = 55)]. Successful identification of the host species was achieved from 159 blood-fed mosquitoes. Mosquitoes fed on birds (n = 74), non-human mammals (n = 20), and humans (n = 71). There were mixed blood meals from two hosts (n = 6). The proportions of blood-fed mosquitoes varied across sampling seasons and sites within the zoos. The use of resting traps and aspiration of vegetation were more efficient techniques for capturing blood-fed mosquitoes than traps for host-seeking or gravid mosquitoes. By relating the locations of zoo vertebrates to where fed mosquitoes were trapped, the minimum travelling distances were calculated (13.7 to 366.7 m). Temperature, precipitation, relative humidity, proximity to zoo vertebrate exhibits, and vegetation level were found to be significantly associated with the proportion of captured blood-fed mosquitoes by generalized linear modelling. CONCLUSIONS Mosquito feeding behaviour in zoos is mainly influenced by time, location (sampling area), temperature, and host availability, which highlights the value of mosquito monitoring in complex settings to plan control strategies and potentially reduce inherent disease transmission risks for humans and threatened zoo vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arturo Hernandez-Colina
- Department of Livestock and One Health, Institute of Infection, Veterinary & Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Chester High Road, Neston, Cheshire, CH64 7TE, UK.
- North of England Zoological Society (Chester Zoo), Caughall Road, Chester, CH2 1LH, UK.
| | - Merit Gonzalez-Olvera
- Department of Livestock and One Health, Institute of Infection, Veterinary & Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Chester High Road, Neston, Cheshire, CH64 7TE, UK
- North of England Zoological Society (Chester Zoo), Caughall Road, Chester, CH2 1LH, UK
| | - Emily Lomax
- Department of Livestock and One Health, Institute of Infection, Veterinary & Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Chester High Road, Neston, Cheshire, CH64 7TE, UK
| | - Freya Townsend
- Department of Livestock and One Health, Institute of Infection, Veterinary & Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Chester High Road, Neston, Cheshire, CH64 7TE, UK
| | - Amber Maddox
- Department of Livestock and One Health, Institute of Infection, Veterinary & Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Chester High Road, Neston, Cheshire, CH64 7TE, UK
| | - Jenny C Hesson
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Zoonosis Science Centre, Uppsala University, 751 23, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Kenneth Sherlock
- Department of Livestock and One Health, Institute of Infection, Veterinary & Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Chester High Road, Neston, Cheshire, CH64 7TE, UK
| | - Dawn Ward
- Flamingo Land, Kirby Misperton, Malton, YO17 6UX, UK
| | - Lindsay Eckley
- North of England Zoological Society (Chester Zoo), Caughall Road, Chester, CH2 1LH, UK
| | - Mark Vercoe
- North of England Zoological Society (Chester Zoo), Caughall Road, Chester, CH2 1LH, UK
| | - Javier Lopez
- North of England Zoological Society (Chester Zoo), Caughall Road, Chester, CH2 1LH, UK
| | - Matthew Baylis
- Department of Livestock and One Health, Institute of Infection, Veterinary & Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Chester High Road, Neston, Cheshire, CH64 7TE, UK
- Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
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Martínez-de la Puente J, Soriguer R, Senar JC, Figuerola J, Bueno-Mari R, Montalvo T. Mosquitoes in an Urban Zoo: Identification of Blood Meals, Flight Distances of Engorged Females, and Avian Malaria Infections. Front Vet Sci 2020; 7:460. [PMID: 32974390 PMCID: PMC7472536 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.00460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 06/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Zoological gardens are home to a large number of vertebrate species and as such are suitable sites for both mosquito breeding and maintenance. They are excellent places for entomological studies of mosquito phenology, diversity, and blood-feeding patterns, as well as for xenomonitoring. During 2016, we sampled mosquitoes in Barcelona Zoo and used molecular methods to determine their blood-feeding patterns and the prevalence and diversity of avian malaria parasites. We also estimated the flight distance of engorged mosquitoes in the area. Overall, 1,384 adult Culex pipiens s.l., Culiseta longiareolata, and Aedes albopictus were captured. Birds dominated the diet of Cx. pipiens s.l. (n = 87) and Cs. longiareolata (n = 6), while humans were the only blood-meal source of Ae. albopictus (n = 3). Mosquitoes had a mean flight distance of 95.67 m after feeding on blood (range 38.71–168.51 m). Blood parasites were detected in the abdomen of 13 engorged Cx. pipiens s.l., eight of which had fed on magpies. Four Plasmodium lineages and a single lineage of the malaria-like parasite Haemoproteus were identified. These results suggest that Cx. pipiens s.l. is involved in the local transmission of avian Plasmodium, which potentially affects the circulation of parasites between and within wildlife and enclosed animals. Vigilance regarding possible mosquito breeding sites in this zoo is thus recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josué Martínez-de la Puente
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Sevilla, Spain.,CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Ramón Soriguer
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Sevilla, Spain.,CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan Carlos Senar
- Evolutionary and Behavioural Ecology Research Unit, Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordi Figuerola
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Sevilla, Spain.,CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Rubén Bueno-Mari
- Laboratorios Lokímica, Departamento de Investigación y Desarrollo (I+D), Valencia, Spain
| | - Tomás Montalvo
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain.,Agencia de Salud Pública de Barcelona, Consorci Sanitari de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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Heym EC, Kampen H, Krone O, Schäfer M, Werner D. Molecular detection of vector-borne pathogens from mosquitoes collected in two zoological gardens in Germany. Parasitol Res 2019; 118:2097-2105. [PMID: 31154526 PMCID: PMC6611737 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-019-06327-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 04/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
In Germany, knowledge of disease agents transmitted by arthropods in zoological gardens is scarce. In the framework of ecological studies, mosquitoes were therefore collected in German zoological gardens and examined for mosquito-borne pathogen DNA and RNA. In total, 3840 mosquitoes were screened for filarial nematodes and three groups of viruses (orthobunyaviruses, flaviviruses, alphaviruses) while 405 mosquitoes were tested for avian malaria parasites. In addition to the filarial nematode species Dirofilaria repens (n = 1) and Setaria tundra (n = 8), Sindbis virus (n = 1) and the haemosporidian genera Haemoproteus (n = 8), Leucocytozoon (n = 10) and Plasmodium (n = 1) were demonstrated. Identified pathogens have the potential to cause disease in zoo and wild animals, but some of them also in humans. Positive mosquitoes were collected most often in July, indicating the highest infection risk during this month. Most of the pathogens were found in mosquito specimens of the Culex pipiens complex, suggesting that its members possibly act as the most important vectors in the surveyed zoos, although the mere demonstration of pathogen DNA/RNA in a homogenised complete mosquito is not finally indicative for a vector role. Outcomes of the study are not only significant for arthropod management in zoological gardens, but also for the general understanding of the occurrence and spread of mosquito-borne disease agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva C Heym
- Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research, Eberswalder Str. 84, 15374, Muencheberg, Germany.
| | - Helge Kampen
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald - Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Oliver Krone
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Mandy Schäfer
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald - Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Doreen Werner
- Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research, Eberswalder Str. 84, 15374, Muencheberg, Germany
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