Description of Anopheles gabonensis, a new species potentially involved in rodent malaria transmission in Gabon, Central Africa.
The genus Anopheles includes mosquito vectors of human malaria and arboviruses. In sub-Saharan Africa, the anopheline fauna is rich of nearly 150 species, few of which are anthropophilic and capable of transmitting pathogens to humans. Some of the remaining species are found in forests far from human environments and are vectors of wildlife pathogens. The diversity and the biology of these species have yet to be fully described. As a contribution to furthering knowledge of sylvan Anophelinae, using morphological and molecular tools we describe a new Anopheles species collected in Gabon (Central Africa), which we have named Anopheles gabonensis n. sp. We also molecularly screened this species to detect infections by Plasmodium parasites. The results showed the species to have been infected by Plasmodium vinckei, a rodent parasite. We discuss the role of An. gabonensis n. sp. in the transmission of P. vinckei in the rainforest areas of Central Africa and its potential to transfer pathogens to humans.
Unité MIVEGEC, UMR 224-5290 CNRS-IRD-UM1-UM2, Centre IRD de Montpellier, BP 64501, 34394 Montpellier, France; Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), BP 769, Franceville, Gabon.
Nil
N
Rahola
Unité MIVEGEC, UMR 224-5290 CNRS-IRD-UM1-UM2, Centre IRD de Montpellier, BP 64501, 34394 Montpellier, France; Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), BP 769, Franceville, Gabon; Institut de Recherche en Ecologie Tropicale (IRET), BP 13354, Libreville, Gabon.
Boris
B
Makanga
Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), BP 769, Franceville, Gabon.
Patrick
P
Yangari
Unité MIVEGEC, UMR 224-5290 CNRS-IRD-UM1-UM2, Centre IRD de Montpellier, BP 64501, 34394 Montpellier, France; Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), BP 769, Franceville, Gabon.
Davy
D
Jiolle
Unité MIVEGEC, UMR 224-5290 CNRS-IRD-UM1-UM2, Centre IRD de Montpellier, BP 64501, 34394 Montpellier, France.
Didier
D
Fontenille
Unité MIVEGEC, UMR 224-5290 CNRS-IRD-UM1-UM2, Centre IRD de Montpellier, BP 64501, 34394 Montpellier, France.
François
F
Renaud
Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), BP 769, Franceville, Gabon.
Benjamin
B
Ollomo
Unité MIVEGEC, UMR 224-5290 CNRS-IRD-UM1-UM2, Centre IRD de Montpellier, BP 64501, 34394 Montpellier, France; Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), BP 769, Franceville, Gabon.
Diego
D
Ayala
Unité MIVEGEC, UMR 224-5290 CNRS-IRD-UM1-UM2, Centre IRD de Montpellier, BP 64501, 34394 Montpellier, France; Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), BP 769, Franceville, Gabon.
Franck
F
Prugnolle
Unité MIVEGEC, UMR 224-5290 CNRS-IRD-UM1-UM2, Centre IRD de Montpellier, BP 64501, 34394 Montpellier, France; Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), BP 769, Franceville, Gabon. Electronic address: christophe.paupy@ird.fr.
Christophe
C
Paupy
D000818:Animals; D000852:Anopheles / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000469:parasitology*; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005681:Gabon / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007303:Insect Vectors; D008288:Malaria / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission*; D008297:Male; D010802:Phylogeny; D010961:Plasmodium
D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial
Anopheles; Gabon; Rodent malaria; Species description