Vismarra Alice, Genchi Marco, Maltoni Alessia, Semeraro Manuela, Kramer Laura Helen, Calzolari Mattia, Grisendi Annalisa, Dalmonte Gastone, Fozzer Marta
Department of Veterinary Medicine Sciences, University of Parma, Strada del Taglio, 10, 43126, Parma, Italy.
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia ed Emilia-Romagna, Reggio Emilia, Italy.
Parasit Vectors. 2025 Jun 5;18(1):210. doi: 10.1186/s13071-025-06828-6.
Dirofilaria immitis, the agent of canine and feline heartworm disease, and Dirofilaria repens, the agent of subcutaneous dirofilariosis, are widespread mosquito-borne helminths. The present study is aimed at updating current knowledge of the composition of potential vector species in the northern region of Emilia-Romagna, a traditionally endemic area for D. immitis and D. repens.
Mosquitoes were collected in 2022 and 2023 as part of the regional surveillance plan for West Nile Virus (WNV). The capture zones included peri-urban and rural areas and mosquitoes were captured with CDC-CO traps. DNA from approximately 30% of female mosquitoes of each captured species (Culex pipiens, Aedes caspius, Aedes vexans, Aedes albopictus) was extracted and analyzed for the presence of D. immitis and D. repens.
A total of 140 pools (~ 20 mosquitoes each) in 2022 and 133 in 2023 have been analyzed. DNA of D. immitis was identified in 14 pools in 2022 and in 15 pools in 2023. None of the pools was positive for D. repens. In 2022, about 85% of the positive pools belonged to Ae. caspius species (11/13) and the other three pools to Ae. vexans. In 2023, 73% of the positive pools belonged to Ae. caspius, followed by Ae. vexans and Ae. albopictus (both 13.3%). A significant overlap emerged from the same traps positioned in Ferrara and Bologna provinces, which tested positive for D. immitis in both 2022 and 2023.
These data highlight how, despite the abundance of Cx. pipiens captured, the most receptive species for D. immitis appear to be Ae. caspius and Ae. vexans. Furthermore, the geographical data highlights how the areas of the province of Ferrara and Bologna are the main geographical reservoirs of the parasite.
犬心丝虫病病原体犬恶丝虫（Dirofilaria immitis）和皮下丝虫病病原体匐行恶丝虫（Dirofilaria repens）是广泛传播的蚊媒蠕虫。本研究旨在更新对艾米利亚 - 罗马涅北部地区潜在媒介物种组成的现有认识，该地区是犬恶丝虫和匐行恶丝虫的传统流行地区。
作为西尼罗河病毒（WNV）区域监测计划的一部分，于2022年和2023年收集蚊子。捕获区域包括城郊和农村地区，使用疾控中心CO诱捕器捕获蚊子。从每个捕获物种（致倦库蚊（Culex pipiens）、里海伊蚊（Aedes caspius）、骚扰伊蚊（Aedes vexans）、白纹伊蚊（Aedes albopictus））约30%的雌蚊中提取DNA，并分析犬恶丝虫和匐行恶丝虫的存在情况。
2022年共分析了140个样本池（每个样本池约20只蚊子），2023年分析了133个样本池。2022年在14个样本池中鉴定出犬恶丝虫DNA，2023年在15个样本池中鉴定出。没有样本池对匐行恶丝虫呈阳性。2022年，约85%的阳性样本池属于里海伊蚊（11/13），另外三个样本池属于骚扰伊蚊。2023年，73%的阳性样本池属于里海伊蚊，其次是骚扰伊蚊和白纹伊蚊（均为13.3%）。位于费拉拉省和博洛尼亚省的相同诱捕器出现了显著重叠，这两个诱捕器在2022年和2023年对犬恶丝虫检测均呈阳性。
这些数据凸显出，尽管捕获了大量的致倦库蚊，但犬恶丝虫最易感染的物种似乎是里海伊蚊和骚扰伊蚊。此外，地理数据凸显出费拉拉省和博洛尼亚省的地区是该寄生虫的主要地理储存地。
