title: Detection of Dirofilaria repens and Dirofilaria immitis DNA in mosquitoes from Belarus.
abstract: During the last two decades, Belarus faces an increase of human cases of Dirofilaria (Nematoda, Spirurida, Onchocercidae) infections. However, comprehensive analyses explaining this development and the identification of mosquito vector species are missing. Here, we present results using temperature data from Belarus and show that the annual number of human Dirofilaria cases is significantly correlated with the yearly average temperatures (Spearman's rho = 0.49, p < 0.05) and the average sum of potential Dirofilaria transmission days (Spearman's rho = 0.46, p < 0.05), suggesting that autochthonous transmission is at least in part responsible for the increasing number of clinical Dirofilaria cases in the country. In addition, 467 female mosquitoes were collected from different sampling sites in the regions of Brest and Minsk, which were analyzed by molecular methods for the presence of Dirofilaria repens and Dirofilaria immitis DNA, respectively. Two pools (5.56 %) were tested positive for Dirofilaria (estimated infection rate per 100 specimens = 0.44, 95 % confidence interval = 0.08-1.43), comprising one Anopheles claviger s.l. pool that was positive for D. repens and one Culex pipiens s.l./Culex torrentium pool positive for D. immitis DNA. This, to our knowledge, is the first molecular evidence for the presence of Dirofilaria in mosquitoes from Belarus, suggesting a high probability of autochthonous Dirofilaria transmission in the country.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Zoology, Academy of Sciences of Moldova, Chisinau, Moldova.
authors.forename: Tatiana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Șuleșco
authors.affiliation: Scientific and Practical Center of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus for Biological Resources, Minsk, Belarus.
authors.forename: Tatiana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Volkova
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Health of the Republic of Belarus, State Republican Center of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Public Health, Minsk, Belarus.
authors.forename: Svetlana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yashkova
authors.affiliation: Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Haemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research National Reference Centre for Tropical Infectious Diseases, Bernhard-Nocht-Straße 74, 20359, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Alexandru
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tomazatos
authors.affiliation: Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Haemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research National Reference Centre for Tropical Infectious Diseases, Bernhard-Nocht-Straße 74, 20359, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Heidrun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: von Thien
authors.affiliation: Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Haemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research National Reference Centre for Tropical Infectious Diseases, Bernhard-Nocht-Straße 74, 20359, Hamburg, Germany. luehken@bnitm.de.
authors.forename: Renke
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lühken
authors.affiliation: Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Haemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research National Reference Centre for Tropical Infectious Diseases, Bernhard-Nocht-Straße 74, 20359, Hamburg, Germany.|Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Hamburg-Luebeck-Borstel, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Egbert
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tannich
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000852:Anopheles / Q000469:parasitology*; D003465:Culex / Q000469:parasitology*; D018509:DNA, Helminth / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004183:Dirofilaria immitis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D060348:Dirofilaria repens / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004184:Dirofilariasis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000635:transmission; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000072138:Mosquito Vectors / Q000469:parasitology*; D002094:Republic of Belarus; D013696:Temperature; D014887:Weather
chemical_list: D018509:DNA, Helminth
keywords: Belarus; Dirofilaria immitis; Dirofilaria repens; Mosquito; Surveillance