First report on the molecular phylogenetics and population genetics of Aedes aegypti in Iran.

BACKGROUND: Aedes aegypti, the primary vector of various human arboviral diseases, is a significant public health threat. Aedes aegypti was detected in Iran in 2018, in Hormozgan province, but comprehensive information regarding its genetic diversity and origin within the country remains scarce. This study aimed to determine the origin and genetic diversity of Ae. aegypti in southern Iran. METHODS: Aedes aegypti mosquitoes were collected from Bandar Abbas City, Hormozgan Province, southern Iran, between May and July 2022. Specimens were morphologically identified. Origin and assess genetic diversity were assessed based on the mitochondrial DNA-encoded cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (mtDNA-COI) gene. RESULTS: BLAST (basic local alignment search tool) analysis confirmed the accuracy of the morphological identification of all specimens as Ae. aegypti, with 100% similarity to GenBank sequences. Calculated variance and haplotype diversity were 0.502 and 0.00157, respectively. Among the 604 examined nucleotide sequences, only a single site was non-synonymous. Total nucleotide diversity and average pairwise nucleotides were determined as 0.00083 and 0.502, respectively. Fu and Li's D test values were not statistically significant. Strobeck's S statistic value was 0.487, and Tajima's D value was 1.53395; both were not statistically significant (P > 0.10). CONCLUSIONS: Phylogenetic analysis revealed two distinct clades with minimal nucleotide differences and low haplotype diversity, suggesting the recent establishment of Ae. Aegypti in the southern region of Iran. The phylogenetic analysis also indicated an association between Ae. aegypti populations and mosquitoes from Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.

Determination of the feeding behavior of Phlebotomus sergenti using multiplex PCR and tent-baited traps in a new focus of Anthroponotic Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in the southeast of Iran.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine feeding behaviors of Phlebotomus sergenti Parrot, in a new focus of Anthroponotic Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Bam County, southeast Iran. METHODS: Two methods were used to determine the feeding behavior of Phlebotomus sergenti. In the first method, blood-fed sand flies were captured using a mouth aspirator in human and animal dwellings and consequently, blood meal identification was made using Multiplex PCR. The results were used for calculating Host Feeding Index (HFI) and Forage Ratio (FR) parameters. In the second method, human (Homo sapiens), goat (Capra aegagrus), cattle (Bos taurus), chicken (Gallus gallus) and dog (Canis lupus) were used as baits in tent-baited traps to determine the feeding behavior of Phlebotomus sergenti. RESULTS: Multiplex PCR analysis revealed that the most frequent blood in the stomack of sand flies' were from chicken, but the calculation of the FR revealed that this species prefers canine and poultary blood as meal. Human and animal tent-baited traps revealed that most Phlebotomus sergenti were attracted to chicken rather than the other hosts. CONCLUSIONS: Sand flies are attracted to animals for various reasons such as eating blood, mating on their bodies and laying eggs on their feces. Molecular methods are effective and accurate methods to determine the type of host that sandfly fed on, but they do not show host preferences. The results of the molecular analysis, along with the calculation of HFI and FR, can determine the preferred host of sand flies. The current study revealed that dogs, the secondary reservoir of ACL in Iran, is the first preferred host of Phlebotomus sergenti.

Seroprevalence Study on West Nile Virus (WNV) Infection, a Hidden Viral Disease in Fars Province, Southern Iran.

BACKGROUND: West Nile Virus, a mosquito-borne flavivirus, causes a variety of symptoms in human, from asymptomatic infection to neuroinvasive disease. Several studies have been conducted on the seroprevalence of WNV infection in different areas from Iran. This study was performed to find the presence of antiviral antibodies in human serum among some high risk population and awareness of health care staff about symptom of the WNV infection. METHODS: Study performed in five geographical districts based on high population of immigrant and domestic birds and prevalence of the antiviral antibodies in horses which was reported previously. Totally 150 human blood samples were collected during 2018. The samples collected from patients referred to the clinics. The ELISA method used to detect IgG and IgM antibody against WNV. Logistic regression models used to analyze the effect of sex, age, keeping birds and urban/rural residence on the risk of infection. The awareness of health care staff about symptom of infection surveyed. RESULTS: From all blood donors, 41 samples (27.33%) showed positive to IgG antibody. From which 56.10% were males and remaining females. None of the mentioned factors had a significant relationship. Health care staff had less attention to the infection. CONCLUSION: Although the prevalence of antibodies was relatively high, due to the similarity to other viral diseases, health care staff had less attention to the disease. The study showed that people in these areas have been exposed to the virus. Further research activities are recommended for control of this arbovirus.

Evaluation of Different Attractive Traps for Capturing Sand Flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in an Endemic Area of Leishmaniasis, Southeast of Iran.

BACKGROUND: The attraction of phlebotomine sand flies to plant and animal hosts is due to the produced chemical compounds, affecting the olfactory receptors of the insects. Therefore, novel and effective methods, such as Attractive Toxic Sugar Baits (ATSB) and Attractive Toxic Baits (ATB), are based on the effective materials that attract sand flies toward the host. The present study was designed to identify the attractive materials in plants and animals for using in ATSB and ATB. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out in July 2018 on endemic areas of leishmaniasis in Iran. Different baits, including mango, nectarine, grape, banana, melon and watermelon, defibrinated blood of cattle, sheep, goat and chicken, urine of cattle, sheep, goat and ultimately, simple and complex chemicals, such as CO2, 1-octanol, lactic acid and human sweat were placed inside the traps, and the rate of the sand flies attraction to these materials was studied. Furthermore, data were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test and Mann Whitney U test. RESULTS: There was a significant difference in the sand flies attraction between the traps containing watermelon, urine of cattle, and sheep, and chemicals such as CO2 and human sweat and the control trap (p< 0.05). CONCLUSION: This study showed that watermelon and CO2 are the potential candidates for using in ATSB and ATB, respectively.

Modelling and evaluating the risk of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis in selected areas of Kerman Province, south of Iran.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) remains a public health problem in the world, particularly in tropical and sub-tropical countries. This study aimed to determine the hotspots of CL in Kerman Province of Iran and model their potential for the establishment of new disease foci. All documents related to studies conducted in Kerman Province on CL published between 1978 and 2017 were retrieved and categorized. Spatial distributions of the vector, reservoir and human infection of CL were mapped. MaxEnt ecological model was used to predict the environmental suitability of the vector and reservoir(s) of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL). The most hazardous sites with the potential for the establishment of new disease foci were determined for field operations. Statistics of new cases of CL was obtained from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) of the ministry of health for the period 2011-2016. A total of 6,056 cases of CL were recorded, while we found a decreasing pattern in the incidence of CL from 46.48 per 100,000 inhabitants to 22.97. The best ecological niches for Phlebotomus papatasi are located in the central, western, northwest and southwest regions of the province. Also, environmental suitability for the reservoirs was highest in the central, southern and southwestern regions. The model predicted the gerbils can be present in some foci of anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL). However, this result should be confirmed through a precise field study, and if validated, plans should be made to prevent the emergence of new foci of ZCL in the risk areas.

Baseline Susceptibility of Culiseta longiareolata (Diptera: Culicidae) to Different Imagicides, in Eastern Azerbaijan, Iran.

BACKGROUND: Culiseta longiareolata is an important vector for many human diseases such as brucellosis, avian influenza and West Nile encephalitis. It is likely an intermediate host of avian Plasmodium that can transmit Malta fever. The aim of this study was to determine the susceptibility level of Cs. longiareolata to different classes of imagicides which are recommended by World Health Organization . METHODS: Larval stages of the Cs. longiareolata were collected from their natural habitats in Marand County at East Azerbaijan Province, northwestern of Iran in 2017. Adult susceptibility test were carried out with using impregnated papers to insecticides including DDT 4%, Cyfluthrin 0.15%, Deltamethrin 0.05%, Propoxur 0.1% and Fenitrothion 1% by standard test kits. RESULTS: Results showed that Cs. longiareolata adult is more susceptible to pyrethroid and carbamate insecticides. Among tested insecticides, Cyfluthrin was the most toxic against Cs. longiareolata with LT50 value of 11.53 minutes and Fenitrothion had the least toxic effect (LT50: 63.39 min). CONCLUSIONS: This study provided a guideline for monitoring and evaluation of insecticide susceptibility tests against Cs. longiareolata mosquitoes for further decision making.

Synergists action of piperonyl butoxide and S,S,S-tributyl phosphorotrithioate on toxicity of carbamate insecticides against Blattella germanica.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the synergists action of piperonyl butoxide (PBO) and S,S,S-tributyl phosphorotrithioate (DEF) on toxicity of carbamate insecticides against Blattella germanica in Tehran city. METHODS: In the current study, German cockroach strains were collected from several hospitals and dormitories in Tehran. At the beginning, different concentrations of bendiocarb and carbaryl (insecticides belong to carbamate group) were determined by surface contact on a susceptible strain. Then, the level of susceptibility and type of resistance mechanisms in the collected strains from contaminated sites to the aforementioned insecticides were studied by using PBO and DEF synergists with different insecticide ratios to synergist (1:0, 1:1, 1:2, 1:3). RESULTS: The DEF synergist along with bendiocarb and carbaryl completely eliminated the resistance in all strains but PBO did not completely eliminate the resistance in the strains of Mofid, Alvand, Valiasr hospitals and Shariati dormitory. Generally, the impact of DEF was observed in the removing resistance more than PBO. CONCLUSIONS: In most of these strains, resistance to bendiocarb and carbaryl is completely eliminated by DEF, showing a very high role of estraze enzymes in resistance to bendiocarb and carbaryl. But in most strains PBO does not remove the resistance because other mechanisms, such as reduced cuticle penetration and insensitivity to the acetylcholine esterase enzyme, may be involved.