First report on Anopheles fluviatilis U in southeastern Iran

• Published in: Acta tropica 2011-02, Vol.117 (2), p.76-81
• Main Authors: Mehravaran, A., Oshaghi, M.A., Vatandoost, H., Abai, M.R., Ebrahimzadeh, A., Roodi, A. Moazeni, Grouhi, A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Anopheles; Anopheles - classification; Anopheles - genetics; Anopheles fluviatilis; Anopheles fluviatilis complex; Biological and medical sciences; Databases, Nucleic Acid; developmental stages; disease control; DNA, Ribosomal; General aspects; Genetic Variation; haplotypes; Human protozoal diseases; humans; Infectious diseases; Insect Vectors - classification; Insect Vectors - genetics; internal transcribed spacers; Iran; loci; Malaria; Medical sciences; Parasitic diseases; PCR; Phylogeny; Polymerase Chain Reaction; polytene chromosomes; Protozoal diseases; Ribosomal DNA; Sequence Analysis; species diversity; transcription (genetics)
• ISSN: 0001-706X; 1873-6254
• DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2010.09.011

[Display omitted] ▶ First report on presence of Anopheles fluviatilis U in southern Iran. ▶An. fluviatilis T and U are identical in ITS2 but varied in D3 rDNA. ▶Anopheles fluviatilis T and U are very closely related species. Anopheles fluviatilis James, one of the malaria vectors in Iran, is a complex of at least three cryptic species provisionally designated as species S, T and U. These species are morphologically indistinguishable at any stage of their life cycle and can be identified only by the examination of species-specific fixed inversions in the polytene chromosomes. Recently, sequence analysis of 28S D3 and second internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) regions of ribosomal DNA has revealed 7 haplotypes of S, U, T1, T2, Y, X and V within the complex. Identification of the cryptic species of the complex is of paramount importance in a disease control program due to contrasting differences in their vectorial efficiency, preference for feeding on humans and resting behavior. In this study we analyzed the sequence of 28S D3- and ITS2-rDNA loci to identify the species composition of the An. fluviatilis complex in Jiroft and Chabahar districts, two of the most important endemic malaria foci in southeastern corner of Iran. The ITS2 sequence analysis revealed that all of the An. fluviatilis specimens were identical to the Y/T2 haplotype of An. fluviatilis T, whereas D3 sequence analysis revealed presence of species T in Jiroft and species U in Chabahar district. It is the first report of species U in Iran.