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Özbel Y, Oğuz G, Arserim SK, Erişöz Kasap Ö, Karaoglu B, Yilmaz A, Emanet N, Günay F, Hacioğlu S, Demirok MC, Töz S, Alten B, Nalçaci M, Özkul A, Ergünay K. The initial detection of Toscana virus in phlebotomine sandflies from Turkey. Med Vet Entomol 2020; 34:402-410. [PMID: 32426867 DOI: 10.1111/mve.12450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 01/10/2020] [Revised: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Toscana virus (TOSV) is a prominent arthropod-borne viral agent of human central nervous system infections occurring in the Mediterranean region. The main transmission route to susceptible individuals involves sandflies as vectors. Despite several reports revealing widespread TOSV activity in Turkey, vectors remained unidentified. A sandfly field survey was carried out in five provinces in Central, Southeast and Mediterranean Anatolia in 2017 to identify TOSV and related sandfly-borne phleboviruses and Leishmania parasites, with evidence for circulation in the region. A total of 7136 sandfly specimens, collected via standard methods, were evaluated in 163 pools. TOSV was detected in 11 pools (6.7%), comprising Phlebotomus major sensu lato, Sergentomyia dentata and Phlebotomus papatasi species. TOSV partial L and S segment sequences were characterized, that phylogenetically clustered with local and global genotype A strains. An amino acid substitution outside the conserved motifs of the viral polymerase, also present in previous TOSV sequences in endemic regions, was observed. Leishmania tropica was detected in a single pool of Ph. sergentii (0.6%). This is the first report of TOSV in sandflies from Turkey, and this study further provides evidence for additional sandfly species with the potential to transmit TOSV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Özbel
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - G Oğuz
- Division of Ecology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - S K Arserim
- Vocational School of Health Services, Manisa Celal Bayar University, Manisa, Turkey
| | - Ö Erişöz Kasap
- Division of Ecology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - B Karaoglu
- Division of Ecology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - A Yilmaz
- Division of Ecology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - N Emanet
- Virology Unit, Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - F Günay
- Division of Ecology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - S Hacioğlu
- Department of Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - M C Demirok
- Division of Ecology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - S Töz
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - B Alten
- Division of Ecology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - M Nalçaci
- Department of Biology, Ege University Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Izmir, Turkey
| | - A Özkul
- Department of Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - K Ergünay
- Virology Unit, Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
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Karaku Ş M, Pekağ Irba Ş M, Demir S, Eren H, Töz S, Özbel Y. Molecular screening of Leishmania spp. infection and bloodmeals in sandflies from a leishmaniasis focus in southwestern Turkey. Med Vet Entomol 2017; 31:224-229. [PMID: 27910105 DOI: 10.1111/mve.12216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [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: 04/26/2016] [Revised: 09/19/2016] [Accepted: 09/26/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is an arthropod-borne disease that affects approximately 2 million people worldwide annually. The aims of this study were to detect the presence of Leishmania (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae) DNA and the feeding preferences of probable vector species in an endemic focus of Leishmania infantum in Turkey. Entomological sampling was performed in August and October 2015 in Aydın province, where cases of human and canine leishmaniasis have been reported previously. A total of 1059 sandfly specimens comprising nine species belonging to two genera, Phlebotomus and Sergentomyia (both: Diptera: Psychodidae), and five subgenera of the Phlebotomus genus (Phlebotomus, Paraphlebotomus, Larroussius, Adlerius and Transphlebotomus) were collected in five villages. Among all Phlebotomus specimens, Phlebotomus neglectus (39%) was noted as the most abundant species, followed by Phlebotomus tobbi (18%). Leishmania DNA was detected in pools from P. neglectus, P. tobbi and Sergentomyia dentata by kDNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Leishmania DNA from Phlebotomus specimens was identified as L. infantum, but Leishmania DNA from Sergentomyia spp. could not be identified to species level by ITS-1 real-time PCR. The detection of Leishmania DNA in wild-caught P. neglectus and the high percentage (24.2%) of human DNA in engorged specimens suggests that P. neglectus is probably an important vector species for L. infantum in Aydın province.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Karaku Ş
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Parasitology, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - M Pekağ Irba Ş
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, Department of Parasitology, Adnan Menderes University, Aydın, Turkey
| | - S Demir
- Faculty of Science, Zoology Section, Department of Biology, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - H Eren
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, Department of Parasitology, Adnan Menderes University, Aydın, Turkey
| | - S Töz
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Parasitology, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Y Özbel
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Parasitology, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
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Karakülah G, Karakuş M, Suner A, Demir S, Arserim SK, Töz S, Özbel Y. sandflyDST: a dynamic web-based decision support tool for the morphological identification of sandflies present in Anatolia and mainland Europe, and user study. Med Vet Entomol 2016; 30:321-329. [PMID: 27339389 DOI: 10.1111/mve.12182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [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: 01/20/2016] [Revised: 04/11/2016] [Accepted: 04/11/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Species identification of sandflies is mainly performed according to morphological characters using classical written identification keys. This study introduces a new web-based decision support tool (sandflyDST) for guiding the morphological identification of sandfly species present in Anatolia and mainland Europe and classified in the Phlebotomus and Sergentomyia genera (both: Diptera: Psychodidae). The current version of the tool consists of 111 questions and 36 drawings obtained from classical written keys, and 107 photographs for the quick and easy identification of 26 species of the genus Phlebotomus and four species of the genus Sergentomyia. The tool guides users through a decision tree using yes/no questions about the morphological characters of the specimen. The tool was applied by 30 individuals, who then completed study questionnaires. The results of subsequent analyses indicated that the usability (x‾SUSScore=75.4) and users' level of appreciation (86.6%) of the tool were quite high; almost all of the participants considered recommending the tool to others. The tool may also be useful in training new entomologists and maintaining their level of expertise. This is a dynamic tool and can be improved or upgraded according to feedback. The tool is now available online at http://parasitology.ege.edu.tr/sandflyDST/index.php.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Karakülah
- Department of Genome Sciences and Molecular Biotechnologies, Izmir International Biomedicine and Genome Center, Dokuz Eylül University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - M Karakuş
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - A Suner
- Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - S Demir
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - S K Arserim
- Vocational School of Health Sciences, Celal Bayar University, Manisa, Turkey
| | - S Töz
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Y Özbel
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
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Kasap Erisoz O, Belen A, Alkan C, Gunay F, Dvorak V, Ergunay K, Aydın S, Votypka J, Banuls AL, Charrel R, Özkul A, Özbel Y, Volf P, Alten B. Phlebotomine sand flies on the crossroads of Anatolia: transmitted diseases and vectors. Parasit Vectors 2014. [PMCID: PMC4092307 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-7-s1-o21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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