Laboratory of Parasitology and Mycology, La rabta, Tunis, Tunisia.
Parasit Vectors. 2014 Jan 25;7:51. doi: 10.1186/1756-3305-7-51.
Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) species are known to be the vectors of Bluetongue virus and African Horses Sickness virus (AHSV) in different areas of the world. Nevertheless, other researchers have hypothesized that these arthropods could be involved in the transmission of other pathogens such as Schmallenberg virus, Plasmodium and Leishmania parasites. Identification of the Culicoides' potential vector competence is crucial in understanding the worldwide Culicoides/Leishmania life cycle.
Blood fed and parous females of biting midges Culicoides spp. were collected between 2009 and 2010 in Central Tunisia. DNA was extracted from individual blood fed Culicoides and used as a template in a genus-specific PCR. Leishmania DNA was detected in 14 Culicoides imicola specimens and one Culicoides circumscriptus. In a second step, parasite identification was performed based on a single copy Topo-isomerase II gene specific amplification and sequencing. Leishmania infantum was identified in two infected Culicoides spp.
This is the first report of Leishmania DNA detection from naturally infected wild caught Culicoides spp. Our finding supports the assumption that Culicoides spp. are a potential vector for L. infantum.
已知库蠓（双翅目：蠓科）在世界不同地区是蓝舌病毒和非洲马瘟病毒（AHSV）的传播媒介。然而，其他研究人员假设这些节肢动物可能参与传播其他病原体，如沙氏门菌病毒、疟原虫和利什曼原虫寄生虫。鉴定库蠓的潜在媒介能力对于了解全世界库蠓/利什曼原虫的生活周期至关重要。
2009 年至 2010 年期间，在突尼斯中部采集了吸血和产卵的吸血蠓库蠓属。从个体吸血的库蠓中提取 DNA 并用作种特异性 PCR 的模板。在 14 个库蠓伊米科拉和 1 个库蠓 circumscriptus 中检测到利什曼原虫 DNA。在第二步中，根据单个拓扑异构酶 II 基因特异性扩增和测序进行寄生虫鉴定。在两种感染的库蠓中鉴定出利什曼原虫婴儿。
这是首次从自然感染的野生捕获库蠓中检测到利什曼原虫 DNA 的报告。我们的发现支持库蠓属是利什曼原虫婴儿的潜在媒介的假设。
