Molecular and morphological analysis revealed a new Lipoptena species (Diptera: Hippoboscidae) in southern Spain harbouring Coxiella burnetii and bacterial endosymbionts.

Hippoboscid flies (Diptera: Hippoboscidae) are obligate bloodsucking ectoparasites of animals. In Europe, limited research has been conducted on this family until the recent introduction of the deer ked Lipoptena fortisetosa Maa, 1965. A new species of the genus Lipoptena, Lipoptena andaluciensis sp.

Screening for SARS-CoV-2 and Other Coronaviruses in Urban Pigeons (Columbiformes) from the North of Spain under a 'One Health' Perspective.

Coronaviruses have a major impact on human and animal health. The SARS-CoV-2, a beta coronavirus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, is a clear example. It continues circulating and causes human deaths, and its high replication rate results in numerous variants.

An Integrated Pest Management Strategy Approach for the Management of the Stable Fly (Diptera: Muscidae).

Stable flies, , stand as formidable pests with a global impact, inflicting significant economic losses on the livestock sector. Larval development occurs in diverse substrates, including decomposing plant material and manure, while emerged adults pose a threat through blood-feeding on both animals and humans. Conventional chemical control methods, predominantly reliant on insecticides, not only pose environmental risks but also face challenges of resistance among stable fly populations.

Modelling the spatial risk of malaria through probability distribution of s.l. and imported cases.

Malaria remains one of the most important infectious diseases globally due to its high incidence and mortality rates. The influx of infected cases from endemic to non-endemic malaria regions like Europe has resulted in a public health concern over sporadic local outbreaks. This is facilitated by the continued presence of competent vectors in non-endemic countries.

Surveillance and screening of Stomoxyinae flies from Mallorca Island (Spain) reveal the absence of selected pathogens but confirm the presence of the endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia pipientis.

Adult brachycera biting flies can significantly impact livestock through both direct effects (reduction of food intake, disturbance, painful bites, and blood loss) and indirect effects (pathogen transmission), leading to substantial economic losses and production damage. This study aimed to assess the presence of blood-sucking flies in six mixed-animal farm environments on the island of Mallorca (Balearic Islands, Spain) by employing multiple trapping methods. Additionally, distribution maps of brachycera biting fly species recorded in Spain were created, based on data extracted thorough review of scientific literature and citizen digital databases.

Integrated taxonomy of black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae) reveals unexpected diversity in the most arid ecosystem of Europe.

The family Simuliidae includes more than 2000 species of black flies worldwide. Their morphological uniformity creates difficulty for species identification, which limits our knowledge of their ecology and vectorial role. We investigated the systematics of black flies in a semi-arid area of the Iberian Peninsula, an ecologically harsh environment for these organisms.

AIMSurv: First pan-European harmonized surveillance of invasive mosquito species of relevance for human vector-borne diseases.

Human and animal vector-borne diseases, particularly mosquito-borne diseases, are emerging or re-emerging worldwide. Six invasive mosquito (AIM) species were introduced to Europe since the 1970s: , , , , and . Here, we report the results of AIMSurv2020, the first pan-European surveillance effort for AIMs.

Phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera, Psychodidae) from Spain: an updated checklist and extended distributions.

Phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) are the natural vectors of spp. (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae) and phleboviruses (Bunyavirales: Phenuiviridae). In Spain, these vectors appear to be increasing their geographical distribution and have serious repercussions on public and veterinary health, encouraging studies of sand flies and their associated pathogens.

First record of the mermithid nematode worm Isomermis lairdi parasitizing black flies in Spain.

Mermithid nematodes are considered a promising biological control agent to reduce the population density of different blood-feeding vectors, i.e. black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae), which are important pests of medical and veterinary interest worldwide.

No Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Wild Mink ( and ) from Northern Spain during the First Two Years of Pandemic.

The impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on wildlife is largely unevaluated, and extended surveillance of animal species is needed to reach a consensus on the role of animals in the emergence and maintenance of SARS-CoV-2. This infection has been detected in farmed and domestic animals and wild animals, mainly in captivity. The interactions or shared resources with wildlife could represent a potential transmission pathway for the SARS-CoV-2 spill over to other wild species and could lead to health consequences or the establishment of new reservoirs in susceptible hosts.

Severe Skin Lesions Caused by Persistent Bites of the Stable Fly Stomoxys calcitrans (Diptera: Muscidae) in a Donkey Sanctuary of Western Spain.

Animal sanctuaries are important organisations that promote animal welfare and health as well as social awareness. Following the appearance of several donkeys with severe and distinctive skin lesions in a sanctuary from western Spain in 2021, a multicomponent study was performed to rule out the possible causes. The lesions were mainly concentrated on the extremities and, to a lesser extent, on the face and/or chest.

Experimental and natural infections of severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2 in pets and wild and farm animals.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has spread globally and has led to extremely high mortality rates. In addition to infecting humans, this virus also has infected animals. Experimental studies and natural infections showed that dogs have a low susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection, whereas domesticated cats and other animals in the family Felidae, such as lions, tigers, snow leopards, and cougars, have a high susceptibility to viral infections.

A Survey on Native and Invasive Mosquitoes and Other Biting Dipterans in Northern Spain.

Purpose: Haematophagous Diptera, such as mosquitoes (Culicidae), biting midges (Ceratopogonidae), and black flies (Simuliidae), are important insects for public and animal health due to their capacity to bite and transmit pathogens. Outdoor recreation areas are usually affected by biting species and provide suitable habitats to both adult and immature stages. This study aimed to determine the species diversity and larval sites of these Diptera groups in two golf courses.

DNA Barcoding of Mosquitoes from the Pantanos de Centla Biosphere Reserve, Southeastern Mexico.

Accurate identification of mosquito species is essential to support programs that involve the study of distribution and mosquito control. Numerous mosquito species are difficult to identify based only on morphological characteristics, due to the morphological similarities in different life stages and large numbers of some species that are members of morphologically similar species complexes. In the present study, the mosquitoes collected in the Pantanos de Centla Biosphere Reserve, southeastern Mexico, were evaluated using a combination of morphological and molecular approaches (mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I [COI] DNA barcode).

At the tip of an iceberg: citizen science and active surveillance collaborating to broaden the known distribution of Aedes japonicus in Spain.

Background: Active surveillance aimed at the early detection of invasive mosquito species is usually focused on seaports and airports as points of entry, and along road networks as dispersion paths. In a number of cases, however, the first detections of colonizing populations are made by citizens, either because the species has already moved beyond the implemented active surveillance sites or because there is no surveillance in place. This was the case of the first detection in 2018 of the Asian bush mosquito, Aedes japonicus, in Asturias (northern Spain) by the citizen science platform Mosquito Alert.

Atypical behavior of a black fly species connects cavity-nesting birds with generalist blood parasites in an arid area of Spain.

Background: The feeding behavior of bloodsucking insects determines the transmission, distribution, host spectrum and evolution of blood parasites in the wild. Conventional wisdom suggests that some vector groups (e.g.

Molecular Characterization of Mosquito Diversity in the Balearic Islands.

Several outbreaks of mosquito-borne diseases have taken place in Europe in recent years. In Spain, both active and passive surveillance have demonstrated that dengue and West Nile viruses are currently circulating, and seven autochthonous dengue cases have been reported in the last 2 yr. The effectiveness of vector control programs largely depends on the accuracy of the taxonomic identification of the species.

Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in pets living with COVID-19 owners diagnosed during the COVID-19 lockdown in Spain: A case of an asymptomatic cat with SARS-CoV-2 in Europe.

Pets from COVID-19 owners were screened for SARS-CoV-2 (April-May 2020). From 23 pets, an asymptomatic cat showed positive RT-qPCRs results from oropharyngeal swab (negative rectal swab). Remaining pets were negative.

Integrated Approaches in Support of Taxonomic Identification of Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in Vector Surveillance in Spain.

The pandemic of Zika virus in 2016 and other arboviruses prompted La Rioja Government in Spain to implement an entomological surveillance program of mosquitoes (Diptera; Culicidae) in the region of La Rioja. The morphological identification was supported by genetic analysis using the (cytochrome oxidase subunit I) and the (internal transcribed spacer 2) genes. In total, we identified 24 species arranged in 6 genera: (7 species), (4 species), (1 species), (7 species), (4 species), and (1 species).

Surveillance of a Pest Through a Public Health Information System: The Case of the Blackfly () in Zaragoza (Spain) during 2009-2015.

: Animals and people in many Spanish regions are increasingly being affected by blackfly bites in the last decade. Because of blackflies, the city of Zaragoza has become in recent years a paradigm of discomfort in Europe, with thousands of citizens affected. The OMI-AP system (Stacks, Barcelona, Spain) implemented by the Government of Aragón, a software that manages the electronic medical history of all patients, has been evaluated in order to document the increase of insect bite recorded by the primary care consultations in Zaragoza after the first outbreak of blackflies occurred in 2011.

The mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) of Tabasco, Mexico.

To document and update the mosquito species of Tabasco, Mexico, field collection trips were conducted in the two physiographic regions of Tabasco: the coastal plain of the southern gulf and the mountains of Chiapas and Guatemala. Mosquitoes were collected as immature and adult stages during the dry and rainy seasons from 2014 through 2015. Additionally, the Reference Collection of Arthropods of Medical Importance (CAIM-InDRE) containing mosquitoes of Tabasco was re-examined.

Surveillance of Mosquitoes (Diptera, Culicidae) in a Northern Central Region of Spain: Implications for the Medical Community.

Mosquitoes are important to public and animal health due to their capacity to transmit diseases. Since the Zika virus was declared a pandemic by the WHO in 2016, and it has been recorded in different regions of Mediterranean Area (included Spain), the Government of La Rioja (Northern Spain) through the Center of Rickettsiosis and Arthropod-Borne Diseases, implemented an entomological surveillance programme of mosquitoes in La Rioja and in a close area of Navarra. This surveillance extended to some of the pathogens that they can transmit.

Evidence for infection but not transmission of Zika virus by Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) from Spain.

Background: A number of mosquito-borne viruses such as dengue virus (DENV), Usutu virus (USUV), West Nile virus (WNV) are autochthonously transmitted in Europe and six invasive mosquito species have been detected in this temperate region. This has increased the risk for the emergence of further mosquito-borne diseases. However, there is a paucity of information on whether European populations of invasive mosquito species are competent to transmit arboviruses.