Bartonella species in medically important mosquitoes, Central Europe.

Here, we provide the first mass molecular screening of medically important mosquitoes for Bartonella species using multiple genetic markers. We examined a total of 72,115 mosquito specimens, morphologically attributed to Aedes vexans (61,050 individuals), Culex pipiens (10,484 individuals) and species of the Anopheles maculipennis complex (581 individuals) for Bartonella spp. The initial screening yielded 63 Bartonella-positive A.

The invasive Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) in the Czech Republic: Repetitive introduction events highlight the need for extended entomological surveillance.

In the framework of a regional collaborative project between authorities and scientists, evidence was found of repeated introduction of Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus (Skuse) alongside the main road entrances (E461 and E65) connecting Austria and the Slovak Republic with the Czech Republic. In comparison to data from 2012 (17 specimens collected on three occasions), the seasons 2016 (66 specimens on ten occasions) and 2017 (90 specimens on eight occasions) show an apparent increase of introduction events as well as of mosquito numbers and underline the need for more intense surveillance activities.

Cryptic species Anopheles daciae (Diptera: Culicidae) found in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

We report the distribution of mosquitoes of the maculipennis complex in two distinct areas of the Czech Republic (Bohemia and South Moravia) and in one locality of neighbouring Slovakia with emphasis on the detection of the newly described cryptic species Anopheles daciae (Linton, Nicolescu & Harbach, 2004). A total of 691 mosquitoes were analysed using a species-specific multiplex PCR assay to differentiate between the members of the maculipennis complex. In the Czech Republic, we found Anopheles maculipennis (with a prevalence rate of 1.

Co-circulation of Usutu virus and West Nile virus in a reed bed ecosystem.

Background: Mosquito-borne flaviviruses are a major public health threat in many countries worldwide. In Central Europe, West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV), both belonging to the Japanese encephalitis virus group (Flaviviridae) have emerged in the last decennium. Surveillance of mosquito vectors for arboviruses is a sensitive tool to evaluate virus circulation and consequently to estimate the public health risk.