%0 Journal Article
%T Molecular detection of Setaria tundra (Nematoda: Filarioidea) and an unidentified filarial species in mosquitoes in Germany
%A Christina Czajka
%A Norbert Becker
%A Sven Poppert
%A Hanna J£¿st
%A Jonas Schmidt-Chanasit
%A Andreas Kr¨¹ger
%J Parasites & Vectors
%D 2012
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1756-3305-5-14
%X We conducted a molecular mass screening of mosquitoes for filarial parasites using mitochondrial 12S rRNA-based real-time PCR.No parasites causing disease in humans such as Dirofilaria spp. were detected in about 83,000 mosquitoes tested, which had been collected in 2009 and 2010 in 16 locations throughout Germany. However, minimum infection rates of up to 24 per 1000 mosquitoes were revealed, which could be attributed to mosquito infection with Setaria tundra and a yet unidentified second parasite. Setaria tundra was found to be widespread in southern Germany in various mosquito species, except Culex spp. In contrast, the unidentified filarial species was exclusively found in Culex spp. in northern Baden-W¨¹rttemberg, and is likely to be a bird parasite.Although dirofilariasis appears to be emerging and spreading in Europe, the absence of Dirofilaria spp. or other zoonotic filariae in our sample allows the conclusion that the risk of autochthonous infection in Germany is still very low. Potential vectors of S. tundra in Germany are Ochlerotatus sticticus, Oc. cantans, Aedes vexans and Anopheles claviger. Technically, the synergism between entomologists, virologists and parasitologists, combined with state-of-the-art methods allows a very efficient near-real-time monitoring of a wide spectrum of both human and veterinary pathogens, including new distribution records of parasite species and the incrimination of their potential vectors.Filariae (order Spirurida, superfamily Filarioidea) represent a relatively small group of tissue-dwelling, parasitic nematodes with great impact on human and animal health [1]. Those of highest medical relevance are the causative agents of lymphatic filariasis (Wuchereria bancrofti and others) and onchocerciasis (Onchocerca volvulus), both diseases with anthroponotic cycles. Several other filarioses are truly enzootic, e.g. in ungulates (animal onchocerciasis) or rodents (Litomosoides sp.), but a few may be transmissible on rare occasion
%K Culicidae
%K filariae
%K Setaria tundra
%K mtDNA marker
%K Germany
%U http://www.parasitesandvectors.com/content/5/1/14