Author/Authors :
Susanne Ubleis, Sarah Institute of Parasitology - Department of Pathobiology - University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz, Austria , Cuk, Claudia Institute of Parasitology - Department of Pathobiology - University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz, Austria , Nawratil, Michaela Institute of Parasitology - Department of Pathobiology - University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz, Austria , Butter, Julia Institute of Parasitology - Department of Pathobiology - University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz, Austria , Schoener, Ellen Institute of Parasitology - Department of Pathobiology - University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz, Austria , Obwaller, Adelheid G Division of Science - Research and Development - Federal Ministry of Defence and Sports, Vienna, Austria , Zechmeister, Thomas Biological Station Lake Neusiedl, Burgenland, Austria , Duscher, Georg G Institute of Parasitology - Department of Pathobiology - University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz, Austria , Rubel, Franz Institute for Veterinary Public Health - Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health - University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz, Austria , Lebl, Karin Institute for Veterinary Public Health - Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health - University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz, Austria , Zittra, Carina Institute of Parasitology - Department of Pathobiology - University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz, Austria , Fuehrer, Hans-Peter Institute of Parasitology - Department of Pathobiology - University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz, Austria
Abstract :
Information on mosquito-borne filarioid helminths in Austria is scarce, but recent discoveries of Dirofilaria repens indicate autochthonous distribution of this parasite in Eastern Austria. In the current xenomonitoring study, more than 48,000 mosquitoes were collected in Eastern Austria between 2013 and 2015, using different sampling techniques and storage conditions, and were analysed in pools with molecular tools for the presence of filarioid helminth DNA. Overall, DNA of D. repens, Setaria tundra, and two unknown filarioid helminths were documented in twenty mosquito pools within the mitochondrial cox1 gene (barcode region). These results indicate that S. tundra, with roe deer as definite hosts, is common in Eastern Austria, with most occurrences in floodplain mosquitoes (e.g., Aedes vexans). Moreover, DNA of D. repens was found in an Anopheles plumbeus mosquito close to the Slovakian border, indicating that D. repens is endemic in low prevalence in Eastern Austria. This study shows that xenomonitoring is an adequate tool to analyse the presence of filarioid helminths, but results are influenced by mosquito sampling techniques, storage conditions, and molecular protocols.
