ABSTRACT
Toscana virus (TOSV) is a prominent arthropod-borne viral agent of human central nervous system infections occurring in the Mediterranean region. The main transmission route to susceptible individuals involves sandflies as vectors. Despite several reports revealing widespread TOSV activity in Turkey, vectors remained unidentified. A sandfly field survey was carried out in five provinces in Central, Southeast and Mediterranean Anatolia in 2017 to identify TOSV and related sandfly-borne phleboviruses and Leishmania parasites, with evidence for circulation in the region. A total of 7136 sandfly specimens, collected via standard methods, were evaluated in 163 pools. TOSV was detected in 11 pools (6.7%), comprising Phlebotomus major sensu lato, Sergentomyia dentata and Phlebotomus papatasi species. TOSV partial L and S segment sequences were characterized, that phylogenetically clustered with local and global genotype A strains. An amino acid substitution outside the conserved motifs of the viral polymerase, also present in previous TOSV sequences in endemic regions, was observed. Leishmania tropica was detected in a single pool of Ph. sergentii (0.6%). This is the first report of TOSV in sandflies from Turkey, and this study further provides evidence for additional sandfly species with the potential to transmit TOSV.
Subject(s)
Phlebotomus , Sandfly fever Naples virus , Animals , Bunyaviridae Infections/transmission , Humans , Insect Vectors/parasitology , Insect Vectors/virology , Leishmania tropica/isolation & purification , Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous/transmission , Phlebotomus/classification , Phlebotomus/parasitology , Phlebotomus/virology , Phylogeny , Psychodidae/classification , Psychodidae/parasitology , Psychodidae/virology , RNA, Viral , Sandfly fever Naples virus/genetics , Sandfly fever Naples virus/isolation & purification , Turkey/epidemiology , Vector Borne Diseases/parasitology , Vector Borne Diseases/transmission , Vector Borne Diseases/virologyABSTRACT
Cobalamin C (CbIC) deficiency is a rare disorder of vitamin B12 metabolism which results from impaired conversion of both its active forms methylcobalamin and adenosylcobalamin. Early onset cblC typically presents in the first year of life with hypotonia, lethargy, seizures, microcephaly, hydrocephalus, developmental delay and other multisystem involvement including hematologic, ocular, renal, hepatic and cardiac symptoms. We report a case of a female infant with cblC deficiency who presented with seizures, developmental delay and hypopigmented cutaneous lesions. To our knowledge, the patient is the first diagnosed with cblC deficiency who had skin hypopigmentation.