Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
Laboratory of Arboviruses and Emergent Viruses, Institut Pasteur of Algeria, Algiers, Algeria.
Parasit Vectors. 2024 Nov 4;17(1):449. doi: 10.1186/s13071-024-06542-9.
Phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) are important vectors of various pathogens, mainly Leishmania parasites. In the Old World, the most important genus in term of pathogens transmission is the genus Phlebotomus, which includes many proven or suspected vectors of several Leishmania species, while the genus Sergentomyia remains so far unproven as a vector of human pathogens. Algeria is one of the most affected countries by human leishmaniasis.
In the present study, an entomological survey was carried out in two provinces, Ghardaïa and Illizi, located in the north and central Sahara, respectively, where cases of human leishmaniasis are recorded. Our goal was to understand the role of the local sand fly species in the transmission of Leishmania parasites and to analyze their blood meal preferences. Collected sand flies were identified by a combination of morphological and molecular approaches that included DNA-barcoding and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) protein profiling. In addition, female blood meals were analyzed by peptide mass mapping using MALDI-TOF MS.
In total, 640 sand fly specimens belonging to Phlebotomus and Sergentomyia genera were collected in the two provinces. Sergentomyia antennata and Se. fallax were most abundant species in Ghardaïa, and Ph. papatasi and Ph. alexandri in Illizi. In addition, a new sand fly species was described in Illizi named Sergentomyia (Sergentomyia) imihra n. sp. Blood meal analysis of the engorged females revealed various mammalian hosts, especially goats, but also humans for Phlebotomus papatasi and Ph. alexandri, suggesting that these vector species are opportunistic feeders.
Integrative approach that combined morphological analysis, sequencing of DNA markers, and protein profiling enabled the recognition and description of a new Sergentomyia species, raising the number of the Algerian sand fly fauna to 27 species. Further sand fly surveillance in the central Sahara is recommended to identify the thus-far unknown males of Se. imihra n. sp.
嗜人血白蛉（双翅目：白蛉科）是多种病原体的重要传播媒介，主要是利什曼原虫寄生虫。在旧世界，就病原体传播而言，最重要的属是白蛉属，其中包括许多已证实或疑似传播几种利什曼原虫的媒介，而塞氏属迄今尚未被证实是人类病原体的传播媒介。阿尔及利亚是受人类利什曼病影响最严重的国家之一。
本研究在两个省份进行了昆虫学调查，分别是盖尔达耶省和伊利济省，位于撒哈拉北部和中部，那里有人类利什曼病病例记录。我们的目标是了解当地白蛉种在传播利什曼原虫寄生虫中的作用，并分析它们的血食偏好。收集的白蛉通过形态学和分子方法相结合进行鉴定，包括 DNA 条形码和基质辅助激光解吸/电离飞行时间质谱（MALDI-TOF MS）蛋白谱分析。此外，还通过 MALDI-TOF MS 的肽质量图谱分析雌性的血食。
在这两个省份共采集了 640 只属于白蛉属和塞氏属的白蛉标本。在盖尔达耶省，塞氏按蚊和塞氏复蚊是最丰富的物种，而在伊利济省则是 Ph. papatasi 和 Ph. alexandri。此外，在伊利济省还描述了一种新的白蛉物种，命名为 Sergentomyia (Sergentomyia) imihra n. sp。对饱食雌性的血液分析显示了各种哺乳动物宿主，特别是山羊，但也有人类是 Ph. papatasi 和 Ph. alexandri 的血食，这表明这些媒介物种是机会性的食源。
结合形态分析、DNA 标记测序和蛋白谱分析的综合方法，识别和描述了一种新的塞氏属物种，使阿尔及利亚白蛉动物群的物种数增加到 27 种。建议在撒哈拉中部进一步对白蛉进行监测，以确定迄今未知的 Se. imihra n. sp. 的雄性。
