Sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) are blood-feeding insects that transmit the protozoan parasites
spp. and various arthropod-borne (arbo) viruses. While in Mediterranean parts of ...Europe the sand fly fauna is diverse, in Central European countries including Austria mainly
is found, an assumed but unproven vector of
. To update the currently understudied sand fly distribution in Austria, a sand fly survey was performed and other entomological catches were screened for sand flies. Seven new trapping locations of
are reported including the first record in Vienna, representing also one of the first findings of this species in a city. Morphological identification, supported by fluorescence microscopy, was confirmed by two molecular approaches, including sequencing and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) protein profiling. Sand fly occurrence and activity were evaluated based on surveyed locations, habitat requirements and climatic parameters. Moreover, a first comparison of European
populations was made by two marker genes, cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (
), and cytochrome b (
), as well as MALDI-TOF mass spectra. Our study provides new important records of
in Austria and valuable data for prospective entomological surveys. MALDI-TOF MS protein profiling was shown to be a reliable tool for differentiation between sand fly species. Rising temperatures and globalization demand for regular entomological surveys to monitor changes in species distribution and composition. This is also important with respect to the possible vector competence of
.
In this book is reported novel information on diagnosis, treatment, and control of parasites that are naturally transmitted from animal reservoirs to humans. Subjects: Public Health and Healthcare: ...Prevention; Medicine and Pharmacology: Therapy.
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