Ixodid ticks and zoonotic tick-borne pathogens of the Western Balkans.

Ixodid ticks are distributed across all countries of the Western Balkans, with a high diversity of species. Many of these species serve as vectors of pathogens of veterinary and medical importance. Given the scattered data from Western Balkan countries, we have conducted a comprehensive review of available literature, including some historical data, with the aim to compile information about all recorded tick species and associated zoonotic pathogens in this region. Based on the collected data, the tick fauna of the Western Balkans encompasses 32 tick species belonging to five genera: Ixodes, Haemaphysalis, Dermacentor, Rhipicephalus and Hyalomma. A range of pathogens responsible for human diseases has also been documented, including viruses, bacteria and parasites. In this review, we emphasize the necessity for integrated surveillance and reporting, urging authorities to foster research by providing financial support. Additionally, international and interdisciplinary collaborations should be encouraged that include the exchange of expertise, experiences and resources. The present collaborative effort can effectively address gaps in our knowledge of ticks and tick-borne diseases.

Assessment of expertise in morphological identification of mosquito species (Diptera, Culicidae) using photomicrographs.

Accurate identification of insect species is an indispensable and challenging requirement for every entomologist, particularly if the species is involved in disease outbreaks. The European MediLabSecure project designed an identification (ID) exercise available to any willing participant with the aim of assessing and improving knowledge in mosquito taxonomy. The exercise was based on high-definition photomicrographs of mosquitoes (26 adult females and 12 larvae) collected from the western Palaearctic. Sixty-five responses from Europe, North Africa and the Middle East were usable. The study demonstrated that the responders were better at identifying females (82% correct responses) than larvae (63%). When the responders reported that they were sure of the accuracy of their ID, the success rate of ID increased (92% for females and 88% for larvae). The top three tools used for ID were MosKeyTool (72% of responders), the ID key following Becker et al. [2010. Mosquitoes and their control, 2nd edn. Berlin: Springer] (38%), and the CD-ROM of Schaffner et al. [2001. Les moustiques d'Europe: logiciel d'identification et d'enseignement - The mosquitoes of Europe: an identification and training programme. Montpellier: IRD; EID] (32%), while other tools were used by less than 10% of responders. Responders reporting the identification of mosquitoes using the MosKeyTool were significantly better (80% correct responses) than non-MosKeyTool users (69%). Most responders (63%) used more than one ID tool. The feedback from responders in this study was positive, with the exercise being perceived as halfway between educational training and a fun quiz. It raised the importance of further expanding training in mosquito ID for better preparedness of mosquito surveillance and control programmes.

Title: Évaluation de l'expertise en identification morphologique des espèces de moustiques (Diptera, Culicidae) à l'aide de photomicrographies. Abstract: L'identification précise des espèces d'insectes est une exigence indispensable et difficile pour tout entomologiste, en particulier si l'espèce est impliquée dans des épidémies. Le projet européen MediLabSecure a conçu un exercice d'identification (ID) accessible à tout participant volontaire dans le but d'évaluer et d'améliorer les connaissances en taxonomie des moustiques. L'exercice était basé sur des photomicrographies haute définition de moustiques (26 femelles adultes et 12 larves) prélevées dans le Paléarctique occidental. Soixante-cinq réponses d'Europe, d'Afrique du Nord et du Moyen-Orient ont été utilisables. L'étude a démontré que les répondants étaient meilleurs pour identifier les femelles (82 % de réponses correctes) que les larves (63 %). Lorsque les répondants ont déclaré être sûrs de l'exactitude de leur ID, le taux de réussite de l'identification était meilleur (92 % pour les femelles et 88 % pour les larves). Les trois principaux outils utilisés pour les ID étaient MosKeyTool (72 % des répondants), la clé d'identification du livre de Becker et al. (38%) et le CD-ROM de Schaffner et al. (32 %), tandis que d'autres outils étaient utilisés par moins de 10 % des répondants. Les répondants déclarant identifier des moustiques à l'aide de MosKeyTool étaient significativement meilleurs (80 % de réponses correctes) que les non-utilisateurs de MosKeyTool (69 %). La plupart des répondants (63 %) ont utilisé plus d'un outil d'identification. Les commentaires des répondants de cette étude ont été positifs, l'exercice étant perçu comme à mi-chemin entre une formation pédagogique et un quiz amusant. Il a souligné l'importance d'étendre la formation complémentaire à l'identification des moustiques pour une meilleure préparation des programmes de surveillance et de contrôle des moustiques.

A Mark-Release-Recapture Study to Estimate Field Performance of Imported Radio-Sterilized Male Aedes albopictus in Albania.

The pathogen transmitting Aedes albopictus mosquito is spreading rapidly in Europe, putting millions of humans and animals at risk. This species is well-established in Albania since its first detection in 1979. The sterile insect technique (SIT) is increasingly gaining momentum worldwide as a component of area-wide-integrated pest management. However, estimating how the sterile males will perform in the field and the size of target populations is crucial for better decision-making, designing and elaborating appropriate SIT pilot trials, and subsequent large-scale release strategies. A mark-release-recapture (MRR) experiment was carried out in Albania within a highly urbanized area in the city of Tirana. The radio-sterilized adults of Ae. albopictus Albania strain males were transported by plane from Centro Agricoltura Ambiente (CAA) mass-production facility (Bologna, Italy), where they were reared. In Albania, sterile males were sugar-fed, marked with fluorescent powder, and released. The aim of this study was to estimate, under field conditions, their dispersal capacity, probability of daily survival and competitiveness, and the size of the target population. In addition, two adult mosquito collection methods were also evaluated: BG-Sentinel traps baited with BG-Lure and CO2, (BGS) versus human landing catch (HLC). The overall recapture rates did not differ significantly between the two methods (2.36% and 1.57% of the total male released were recaptured respectively by BGS and HLC), suggesting a similar trapping efficiency under these conditions. Sterile males traveled a mean distance of 93.85 ± 42.58 m and dispersed up to 258 m. Moreover, they were observed living in the field up to 15 days after release with an average life expectancy of 4.26 ± 0.80 days. Whether mosquitoes were marked with green, blue, yellow, or pink, released at 3.00 p.m. or 6.00 p.m., there was no significant difference in the recapture, dispersal, and survival rates in the field. The Fried competitiveness index was estimated at 0.28. This mark-release-recapture study provided important data for better decision-making and planning before moving to pilot SIT trials in Albania. Moreover, it also showed that both BG-traps and HLC were successful in monitoring adult mosquitoes and provided similar estimations of the main entomological parameters needed.

Impact of temperature on dengue and chikungunya transmission by the mosquito Aedes albopictus.

The mosquito Aedes albopictus is an invasive species first detected in Europe in Albania in 1979, and now established in 28 European countries. Temperature is a limiting factor in mosquito activities and in the transmission of associated arboviruses namely chikungunya (CHIKV) and dengue (DENV). Since 2007, local transmissions of CHIKV and DENV have been reported in mainland Europe, mainly in South Europe. Thus, the critical question is how far north transmission could occur. In this context, the Albanian infestation by Ae. albopictus is of interest because the species is present up to 1200 m of altitude; this allows using altitude as a proxy for latitude. Here we show that Ae. albopictus can transmit CHIKV at 28 °C as well as 20 °C, however, the transmission of DENV is only observed at 28 °C. We conclude that if temperature is the key environmental factor limiting transmission, then transmission of CHIKV, but not DENV is feasible in much of Europe.

The Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus (Skuse) in Kosovo: First record.

The Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, is an invasive mosquito species that is considered a potential vector of about 22 arboviruses, among which dengue, chikungunya and Zika. Here we report the first record of Aedes albopictus in the territory of the Republic of Kosovo. The first finding, in July 2020, was driven by a photo of an adult mosquito published by a citizen in social media. The subsequent field investigation in July 2020 confirmed the presence of adult mosquitoes by human landing catch and collection of eggs in ovitraps at the village Zhur. Monitoring was performed for 7 weeks with ovitraps and BG-Sentinel adult traps at 36 sampling stations from 7 localities, in the Southern part of Kosovo, on the border with Albania. Fifty-two out of 81 ovitrap samples resulted positive for the presence of Ae. albopictus. A total of 2,711 eggs are collected in 22 out 36 stations and a total of 78 adults from 4 out 4 stations with BG Sentinel trap and 15 adults with handled electric aspirator. Our finding shows that the tiger mosquito is expanding its geographical range in the Balkans, southeastern Europe.

Sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in eight Balkan countries: historical review and region-wide entomological survey.

BACKGROUND: Sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) are medically important vectors of human and veterinary disease-causing agents. Among these, the genus Leishmania (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae), and phleboviruses are of utmost importance. Despite such significance, updated information about sand fly fauna is missing for Balkan countries where both sand flies and autochtonous leishmaniases are historically present and recently re-emerging. Therefore, a review of historical data on sand fly species composition and distribution in the region was followed by a large-scale entomological survey in eight Balkan countries to provide a recent update on local sand fly fauna. METHODS: The literature search involved the period 1910-2019. The entomological survey was conducted at 1189 sampling stations in eight countries (Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia), covering 49 settlements and 358 sampling sites between June and October in the years 2014 and 2016, accumulating 130 sampling days. We performed a total of 1189 trapping nights at these stations using two types of traps (light and CO2 attraction traps) in each location. Sampling was performed with a minimal duration of 6 (Montenegro) and a maximal of 47 days (Serbia) between 0-1000 m.a.s.l. Collected sand flies were morphologically identified. RESULTS: In total, 8490 sand fly specimens were collected. Morphological identification showed presence of 14 species belonging to genera Phlebotomus and Sergentomyia. Historical data were critically reviewed and updated with our recent findings. Six species were identified in Bosnia and Herzegovina (2 new records), 5 in Montenegro (2 new records), 5 in Croatia (2 new records), 9 in Bulgaria (5 new records), 11 in North Macedonia (1 new record), 10 in Serbia (no new records), 9 in Kosovo (3 new records) and 4 in Slovenia (no new records). CONCLUSIONS: This study presents results of the first integrated sand fly fauna survey of such scale for the Balkan region, providing first data on sand fly populations for four countries in the study area and presenting new species records for six countries and updated species lists for all surveyed countries. Our findings demonstrate presence of proven and suspected vectors of several Leishmania species.

Practical management plan for invasive mosquito species in Europe: I. Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus).

Aedes albopictus, also known as the "Asian Tiger Mosquito", is an invasive mosquito species to Europe causing high concern in public health due to its severe nuisance and its vectorial capacity for pathogens such as dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever and Zika. Consequently, the responsible authorities implement management activities to reduce its population density, possibly to below noxious and epidemiological thresholds. In urban areas, these aims are difficult to achieve because of the species' ability to develop in a wide range of artificial breeding sites, mainly private properties. This document (Management Plan) has been structured to serve as a comprehensive practical and technical guide for stakeholders in organizing the vector control activities in the best possible way. The current plan includes coordinated actions such as standardized control measures and quality control activities, monitoring protocols, activities for stakeholders and local communities, and an emergency vector control plan to reduce the risk of an epidemic.

Predicting the success of an invader: Niche shift versus niche conservatism.

Invasive species can encounter environments different from their source populations, which may trigger rapid adaptive changes after introduction (niche shift hypothesis). To test this hypothesis, we investigated whether postintroduction evolution is correlated with contrasting environmental conditions between the European invasive and source ranges in the Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus. The comparison of environmental niches occupied in European and source population ranges revealed more than 96% overlap between invasive and source niches, supporting niche conservatism. However, we found evidence for postintroduction genetic evolution by reanalyzing a published ddRADseq genomic dataset from 90 European invasive populations using genotype-environment association (GEA) methods and generalized dissimilarity modeling (GDM). Three loci, among which a putative heat-shock protein, exhibited significant allelic turnover along the gradient of winter precipitation that could be associated with ongoing range expansion. Wing morphometric traits weakly correlated with environmental gradients within Europe, but wing size differed between invasive and source populations located in different climatic areas. Niche similarities between source and invasive ranges might have facilitated the establishment of populations. Nonetheless, we found evidence for environmental-induced adaptive changes after introduction. The ability to rapidly evolve observed in invasive populations (genetic shift) together with a large proportion of unfilled potential suitable areas (80%) pave the way to further spread of Ae. albopictus in Europe.

Altitudinal variations in wing morphology of Aedes albopictus (Diptera, Culicidae) in Albania, the region where it was first recorded in Europe.

The rapid spread and settlement of Aedes albopictus mosquitoes across at least 28 countries in Europe, as well as several countries in Asia Minor, the Middle East and Africa, has made it one of the most invasive species of all time. Even though the biology of Ae. albopictus in its native tropical environment has been documented for a long time, the biology and ecology of this species in newly colonized temperate environments remain poorly known despite its important role as a vector for about twenty arboviruses. In this context, the main goals of this work were to investigate Ae. albopictus phenotypic variations at a local scale in Albania, the country where Ae. albopictus was first recorded in Europe, and to determine if its phenotypes could be affected by altitude. Analysis of Ae. albopictus wing phenotypes was performed using a geometric morphometric approach. We observed shape and size variations among altitudinal populations of Ae. albopictus. Differences of wing phenotypes were highlighted between altitude groups for male and female mosquitoes. The phenotypic variations observed in Ae. albopictus between altitudinal groups indicated these populations are exposed to environmental and ecological pressures. These results suggest the presence of phenotypic plasticity in this species.

TITLE: Variations phénotypiques des ailes d'Aedes albopictus (Diptera, Culicidae) en fonction de l'altitude en Albanie, la région où il a été signalé pour la première fois en Europe. ABSTRACT: La propagation et l'établissement rapides du moustique Aedes albopictus dans au moins 28 pays d'Europe, ainsi que dans plusieurs pays d'Asie mineure, du Moyen-Orient et d'Afrique, en ont fait l'une des espèces les plus invasives de tous les temps. Bien que la biologie d'Ae. albopictus dans son milieu tropical naturel soit documentée depuis longtemps, la biologie et l'écologie de cette espèce dans les milieux tempérés nouvellement colonisés restent mal connues malgré son rôle important de vecteur d'une vingtaine d'arbovirus. Dans ce contexte, les principaux objectifs de ce travail étaient d'étudier les variations phénotypiques d'Ae. albopictus à l'échelle locale en Albanie, le pays où Ae. albopictus a été signalé pour la première fois en Europe, et de déterminer si ses phénotypes pourraient être affectés par l'altitude. L'analyse des phénotypes des ailes d'Ae. albopictus a été effectuée en utilisant une approche de morphométrie géométrique. Nous avons observé des variations de forme et de taille parmi les populations altitudinales d'Ae. albopictus. Des différences de phénotypes d'ailes ont été mises en évidence entre les groupes d'altitude pour les moustiques mâles et femelles. Les variations phénotypiques observées chez Ae. albopictus entre les groupes altitudinaux indiquent que ces populations sont exposées à des pressions environnementales et écologiques. Ces résultats suggèrent la présence d'une plasticité phénotypique chez cette espèce.

The native European Aedes geniculatus mosquito species can transmit chikungunya virus.

Europe is the world's leading tourism destination and is receiving every year travellers from areas with active arbovirus transmission. There is thus a threat of mosquito-borne virus emergence in Europe due to the presence of the invasive mosquito vector Aedes albopictus. Little attention has been paid about the possible role of indigenous mosquito species as vectors of emerging arboviruses. Here, we assessed the vector competence dynamic of Aedes geniculatus, a European anthropophilic mosquito species, for chikungunya virus (CHIKV) in comparison with an European population of Ae. albopictus. We revealed that Ae. geniculatus is highly susceptible to CHIKV infection and could transmit the virus. By specifically exploring the vector competence dynamic in both mosquito species, we revealed that the cumulative distribution of CHIKV incubation period in Ae. geniculatus was delayed by several days as compared to Ae. albopictus. Our results strengthen the importance of considering indigenous species as potential vectors for emerging arboviruses. They also revealed the importance of considering variation in arbovirus dissemination or transmission dynamics in mosquitoes when performing vector competence assays. We will discuss the implications of our results on a CHIKV outbreak dynamic in a theoretical framework.

The composition, diversity, and distribution of mosquito fauna (Diptera: Culicidae) in Kosovo.

The aim of this study is to identify the mosquito species that currently exist and their distributions in Kosovo in order to determine current potential endemic zones and areas at a higher risk for future epidemics. These scientific data will be shared with public health authorities for implementing mosquito control programs. During a two-year period of monitoring in 48 localities in 23 provinces in Kosovo, a total of 1,604 mosquitoes representing 13 species and six genera were collected and morphologically identified. Members of species complexes were also classified to species using DNA barcoding. In total, 13 species were identified with Culex pipiens s.l., the predominant species with an abundance rate of 39%. The remaining 12 species identified were grouped into five genera: Anopheles, Aedes, Coquillettidia, Culiseta, Uranotaenia, including species that are vectors of arboviruses in other parts of the world.

Detection of a Novel Phlebovirus (Drin Virus) from Sand Flies in Albania.

Phlebotomine sand flies are generalist vectors with significant implications for public health. They are able to transmit phleboviruses that cause sand fly fever, headaches, or meningitis in humans. Albania is a country in Southeast Europe with a typical Mediterranean climate which provides convenient conditions for the presence of sand flies. Hence, the circulation of phleboviruses, such as the Toscana and Balkan viruses, has been recently described in the country. We followed a virus discovery approach on sand fly samples collected in 2015 and 2016 in seven regions of Albania, with the aim to investigate and characterize potentially circulating phleboviruses in phlebotomine sand flies. A presumed novel phlebovirus was detected in a pool consisting of 24 Phlebotomus neglectus males. The virus was provisionally named the Drin virus after a river near the locality of Kukës, where the infected sand flies were trapped. Genetic and phylogenetic analysis revealed that the Drin virus is closely related to the Corfou (CFUV) virus, isolated in the 1980s from Phlebotomus major sand flies on the eponymous island of Greece, and may also be involved in human infections because of its similarity to the sand fly fever Sicilian virus. The latter justifies further studies to specifically address this concern. Together with recent findings, this study confirms that Albania and the Balkan peninsula are hot spots for phleboviruses.

Identification of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae): an external quality assessment of medical entomology laboratories in the MediLabSecure Network.

BACKGROUND: Identification of vectors is of prime importance in the field of medical entomology for both operational and research purposes. An external quality assessment of mosquito identification capacities was carried out within the MediLabSecure Network, which is composed of laboratories located in 19 countries close to the European Union around the Mediterranean and Black seas. METHODS: A set of blind samples consisting of 7 or 8 adult mosquitoes and 4 larvae was given to each participant laboratory. In all, 138 adult mosquitoes and 76 larvae of different species were distributed for genus and species identification. RESULTS: All identifications were exclusively morphology based. Overall, 81% of identifications were correct at the genus level, 64% at the species level. The results were highly varied among the 19 participating laboratories. The levels of correct identifications were: 100% (three laboratories), 90-95% (four laboratories), 50-75% (six laboratories) and < 50% (six laboratories). CONCLUSIONS: This evaluation showed the need to maintain efforts in capacity building and quality control in the field of medical entomology and, more specifically, in the morphological identification of the Culicidae.

Forecasting the spatial and seasonal dynamic of Aedes albopictus oviposition activity in Albania and Balkan countries.

The increasing spread of the Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, in Europe and US raises public health concern due to the species competence to transmit several exotic human arboviruses, among which dengue, chikungunya and Zika, and urges the development of suitable modeling approach to forecast the spatial and temporal distribution of the mosquito. Here we developed a dynamical species distribution modeling approach forecasting Ae. albopictus eggs abundance at high spatial (0.01 degree WGS84) and temporal (weekly) resolution over 10 Balkan countries, using temperature times series of Modis data products and altitude as input predictors. The model was satisfactorily calibrated and validated over Albania based observed eggs abundance data weekly monitored during three years. For a given week of the year, eggs abundance was mainly predicted by the number of eggs and the mean temperature recorded in the preceding weeks. That is, results are in agreement with the biological cycle of the mosquito, reflecting the effect temperature on eggs spawning, maturation and hatching. The model, seeded by initial egg values derived from a second model, was then used to forecast the spatial and temporal distribution of eggs abundance over the selected Balkan countries, weekly in 2011, 2012 and 2013. The present study is a baseline to develop an easy-handling forecasting model able to provide information useful for promoting active surveillance and possibly prevention of Ae. albopictus colonization in presently non-infested areas in the Balkans as well as in other temperate regions.

First evidence of resistance to pyrethroid insecticides in Italian Aedes albopictus populations 26 years after invasion.

BACKGROUND: Aedes albopictus has spread during the last few decades all over the world. This has increased significantly the risk of exotic arbovirus transmission (e.g. chikungunya, dengue, and Zika) also in temperate areas, as demonstrated by the Chikungunya 2007 and 2017 outbreaks in northeastern and central Italy. Insecticides are an important tool for limiting the circulation of these mosquito-borne viruses. The aim of the present study was to address the gap in current knowledge of pyrethroid insecticide resistance of European Ae. albopictus populations, focusing on populations from Italy, Albania and Greece. RESULTS: Bioassays for resistance to permethrin (0.75%), α-cypermethrin (0.05%) or deltamethrin (0.05%) were performed according to World Health Organization (WHO) protocols and showed reduced susceptibility (<90% mortality) of some Italian populations to permethrin and α-cypermethrin, but not to deltamethrin. CONCLUSION: This study reports the first evidence of resistance to pyrethroids in adult Italian Ae. albopictus populations. Results refer to the season preceding the Chikungunya 2017 outbreak in central Italy and highlight the need to increase efforts to monitor the spread of insecticide resistance and the need to develop strategies to limit the spread of insecticide resistance, particularly in areas where extensive treatments have been carried out to contain disease outbreaks. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

The current status of phlebotomine sand flies in Albania and incrimination of Phlebotomus neglectus (Diptera, Psychodidae) as the main vector of Leishmania infantum.

The incidence of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in Albania is higher than in other countries of southern Europe, however the role of local sand fly species in the transmission of Leishmania infantum was not addressed conclusively. In 2006, a country-wide collection of sand flies performed in 14 sites selected based on recent occurrence of VL cases showed that Phlebotomus neglectus was by far the most prevalent species (95.6%). Furthermore, 15% of pools made from 422 P. neglectus females tested positive for Leishmania sp. genomic DNA. In the same year, Culicoides trapping was performed for bluetongue disease surveillance in 91 sites of southern Albania, targeting livestock farms regardless recent occurrence of VL in the surveyed areas. In 35 sites where sand flies were collected along with midges, Phlebotomus perfiliewi was the most prevalent among the Phlebotomus species identified, however search for leishmanial DNA in females of this species was unsuccessful. In 2011, sand flies were trapped in 4 sites of north Albania characterized by high VL incidence, and females were dissected to search for Leishmania infections. Both P. neglectus and P. tobbi were collected at high densities. Two positive specimens were detected from a sample of 64 P. neglectus trapped in one site (3.1%). Parasites were successfully cultured from one specimen and characterized as belonging to Leishmania infantum zymodeme MON-1, the only zymodeme so far identified as the agent of human and canine leishmaniasis in the country. Altogether our studies indicate that P. neglectus is the main leishmaniasis vector in Albania.

Surveillance of Arthropod-Borne Viruses and Their Vectors in the Mediterranean and Black Sea Regions Within the MediLabSecure Network.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Arboviruses, viruses transmitted by arthropods such as mosquitoes, ticks, sandflies, and fleas are a significant threat to public health because of their epidemic and zoonotic potential. The geographical distribution of mosquito-borne diseases such as West Nile (WN), Rift Valley fever (RVF), Dengue, Chikungunya, and Zika has expanded over the last decades. Countries of the Mediterranean and Black Sea regions are not spared. Outbreaks of WN are repeatedly reported in the Mediterranean basin. Human cases of RVF were reported at the southern borders of the Maghreb region. For this reason, establishing the basis for the research to understand the potential for the future emergence of these and other arboviruses and their expansion into new geographic areas became a public health priority. In this context, the European network "MediLabSecure" gathering laboratories in 19 non-EU countries from the Mediterranean and Black Sea regions seeks to improve the surveillance (of animals, humans, and vectors) by reinforcing capacity building and harmonizing national surveillance systems to address this important human and veterinary health issue. The aim of this review is to give an exhaustive overview of arboviruses and their vectors in the region. RECENT FINDINGS: The data presented underline the importance of surveillance in the implementation of more adapted control strategies to combat vector-borne diseases. Partner laboratories within the MediLabSecure network present a wide range of infrastructures and have benefited from different training programs. SUMMARY: Although reporting of arboviral presence is not carried out in a systematic manner, the expansion of the area where arboviruses are present cannot be disputed. This reinforces the need for increasing surveillance capacity building in this region to prevent future emergences.

Detection of Leishmania infantum and a Novel Phlebovirus (Balkan Virus) from Sand Flies in Albania.

OBJECTIVE: To organize entomological campaigns to trap sand flies in selected regions of Albania and to test them for the presence of existing or new phleboviruses and for leishmania DNA. METHODS: Sand flies were collected in 14 locations from May to October 2014 using three different types of traps. Pools with a maximum of 30 individuals were prepared according to gender, trapping site, and trapping date; they were tested for the presence of (1) phlebovirus RNA with three different PCR systems (2) and Leishmania DNA using two different real-time PCR assays. RESULTS: A total of 972 sand flies (568 females, 404 males) were aliquoted to 55 pools. Three pools (in two different regions) were positive for Leishmania infantum. Two pools (Kruje region) were positive for phlebovirus RNA and a 575-nucleotide (nt) colinearized sequence of a novel virus most closely related to but clearly distinct from Tehran virus (16% and 3% divergence at nt and amino acid levels). Next generation sequencing analysis indicated that this virus might be transmitted by either Phlebotomus neglectus, Phlebotomus tobbi, or both vectors. CONCLUSIONS: Visceral leishmaniasis has been clinically recognized in Albania for at least 80 years; however, this is the first time that L. infantum, detected by molecular means, has been reported in sand flies in Albania. At the outset of this study, only Adria virus (Salehabad species) was recognized in Albania. A novel virus, Balkan virus, was identified and genetic analysis revealed that it belongs to the Sandfly fever Naples virus group containing human pathogens.

Genetic detection of hantaviruses in rodents, Albania.

In order to have a first insight into the epidemiology of hantaviruses in Albania, 263 small mammals (248 rodents, 15 insectivores) were captured in 352 locations in 29 districts and tested for hantavirus infection. Dobrava-Belgrade virus (DOBV) was detected in 10 of 148 (6.7%) Apodemus flavicollis rodents. DOBV-positive A. flavicollis were detected in six districts (Diber, Korce, Kolonje, Librazhd, Pogradec, and Vlore). The obtained nucleotide sequences were highly similar to each other and to DOBV sequences from northwestern Greece. Understanding the epidemiology of hantaviruses and identifying the endemic foci enables the public health strategies to minimize the risk of human infection. J. Med. Virol. 88:1309-1313, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Enhancement of Aedes albopictus collections by ovitrap and sticky adult trap.

BACKGROUND: In the last decades, Aedes albopictus has become an increasing public health threat in tropical as well as in more recently invaded temperate areas due to its capacity to transmit several human arboviruses, among which Dengue, Chikungunya and Zika. Enhancing the efficiency of currently used collection approaches, such as ovitraps and sticky traps, is desirable for optimal monitoring of the species abundance, for assessment of the risk of arbovirus transmission and for the optimisation of control activities. FINDINGS: Two sets of 4 × 4 Latin-square experiments were carried out in Tirana (Albania) to test whether modifications in ovitrap shape and size and in oviposition substrate would increase collections of Ae. albopictus eggs and whether hay-infusion would increase adult catches by sticky trap. Generalized Linear Mixed Models with negative binomial error distribution were carried out to analyse the data. Cylindrical ovitraps lined with germination paper yielded significantly higher egg catches than those exploiting either the (commonly used) wooden paddles or floating polystyrene blocks as oviposition substrates. No difference was observed between cylindrical and conical shaped ovitraps. Ovitraps and sticky traps baited with hay infusion yielded significantly higher egg and adult catches than un-baited ones. A significant relationship between ovitrap and sticky trap catches was observed both in the absence and in the presence of attractants, with ovitrap catches increasing more than sticky trap catches at increasing adult female densities. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides grounds for optimisation of ovitraps and sticky traps as monitoring tools for Ae. albopictus by (i) supporting use of germination paper as most appropriate oviposition substrate; (ii) suggesting the possible use of stackable conical ovitraps for large scale monitoring; (iii) confirming the use of hay-infusion to increase egg catches in ovitraps, and showing that hay-infusion also significant increases adult catches by sticky traps.