MALDI-TOF MS Limits for the Identification of Mediterranean Sandflies of the Subgenus , with a Special Focus on the Complex.

Leishmania infantum is the agent of visceral leishmaniasis in the Mediterranean basin. It is transmitted by sandflies of the subgenus Larroussius. Although Phlebotomus perniciosus is the most important vector in this area, an atypical Ph.

Phlebotomus langeroni Nitzulescu (Diptera, Psychodidae) a new vector for Leishmania infantum in Europe.

Burrows of the wild rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus, a lagomorph that has been recently suggested as a Leishmania infantum reservoir, constitute an unspoilt biotope in phlebotomine studies in Europe. We hypothesize that Phlebotomus langeroni, a proven vector of L. infantum in North Africa, is associated with rabbits and may have been overlooked in Europe.

Isoenzymatic characterization of Phlebotomus ariasi and P. perniciosus of canine leishmaniasis foci from Eastern Pyrenean regions and comparison with other populations from Europe.

An entomological survey was carried out in 2007 in two Pyrenean counties of Lleida province (north-eastern Spain), where cases of autochthonous canine leishmaniasis have been recently reported. Phlebotomus ariasi and P. perniciosus, vectors of Leishmania infantum in the Mediterranean area, were captured.

Molecular diagnosis of Pseudoterranova decipiens s.s in human, France.

Background: Anisakis and Pseudoterranova are the main genera involved in human infections caused by nematodes of the Anisakidae family. Species identification is complicated due to the lack of differential morphological characteristics at the larval stage, thus requiring molecular differentiation. Pseudoterranova larvae ingested through raw fish are spontaneously eliminated in most cases, but mechanical removal by means of endoscopy might be required.

Ruling out nosocomial transmission of Cryptosporidium in a renal transplantation unit: case report.

Background: Cryptosporidium spp. is a ubiquitous parasite affecting humans as well as domestic and wild vertebrates, causing diarrhea in both immunocompetent and immunocompromised hosts worldwide. Its transmission occurs primarily by the fecal-oral route.

Mitochondrial DNA Intraspecific Variability in Sergentomyia minuta (Diptera: Psychodidae).

Recently, there has been growing interest in analysis of the geographical variation between populations of different Phlebotomus spp. and American sand flies by comparing the sequences of various genes. However, little is known about the genetic structure of the genus Sergentomyia França & Parrot.

Description of vertebral and liver alveolar echinococcosis cases in Cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis).

Background: Echinococcus multilocularis, the causative agent of alveolar echinococcosis, is a fox tapeworm widely distributed in Europe with an increase of endemic area in recent years. Many mammal species including humans and non-human primates can be infected by accidental ingestion of eggs.

Case Presentation: In March 2011, a 5-year-old zoo-raised male cynomolgus macaque (Macaca fascicularis) presented a paresis of the lower limbs which evolved into paralysis.

First case of amebic liver abscess 22 years after the first occurrence.

A 72-year-old man consulted in November 2012 for abdominal pain in the right upper quadrant. The patient had a history of suspected hepatic amebiasis treated in Senegal in 1985 and has not traveled to endemic areas since 1990. Abdominal CT scan revealed a liver abscess.

Diversity and prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in seven non-human primates of the Taï National Park, Côte d'Ivoire.

Parasites and infectious diseases are well-known threats to primate populations. The main objective of this study was to provide baseline data on fecal parasites in the cercopithecid monkeys inhabiting Côte d'Ivoire's Taï National Park. Seven of eight cercopithecid species present in the park were sampled: Cercopithecus diana, Cercopithecus campbelli, Cercopithecus petaurista, Procolobus badius, Procolobus verus, Colobus polykomos, and Cercocebus atys.

An unusual case of hematuria in a French family returning from Corsica.

Urinary schistosomiasis caused by Schistosoma haematobium worms is endemic to tropical regions where it is the most common cause of hematuria. However, the intermediate snail hosts, Bulinus truncatus, have been described in Portugal, Spain, Sardinia, and Corsica. S.

First case of peritoneal cysticercosis in a non-human primate host (Macaca tonkeana) due to Taenia martis.

Background: Infections with larval stages (metacestodes) of a variety of taeniid species have been described in primates, including humans, with partial to severe clinical consequences. Taenia martis is a tapeworm of mustelids, and martens are mainly their definitive hosts in Central Europe. In the rodent intermediate host cysticerci develop in the pleural and peritoneal cavities.

A taxonomic study of Phlebotomus (Larroussius) perfiliewi s. l.

Phlebotomus (Larroussius) perfiliewi is one of the main vectors of Leishmania infantum in the Mediterranean basin and in Central Asia. Its taxonomic status remains doubtful. It usually includes three taxa of specific or subspecific value, depending on the authors: P.

First case of human gongylonemosis in France.

Gongylonema spp. are cosmopolitan spirurid nematodes that are common parasites of wild and domesticated mammals and birds. Gongylonema pulchrum Molin, 1857 is most common in ruminants, where it invades mucosa and submucosa of the mouth, tongue, oesophagus and forestomachs.

A study of a population of Nyssomyia trapidoi (Diptera: Psychodidae) caught on the Pacific coast of Ecuador.

Background: Cutaneous leishmaniasis is endemic to the Pacific coast of Ecuador, and Nyssomyia trapidoi is considered to be its main vector. Dujardin et al. [1] recorded some differences in body pigmentation and isoenzymatic profiles in sympatric populations of Ny.

Integrated mapping of establishment risk for emerging vector-borne infections: a case study of canine leishmaniasis in southwest France.

Background: Zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis is endemic in the Mediterranean Basin, where the dog is the main reservoir host. The disease's causative agent, Leishmania infantum, is transmitted by blood-feeding female sandflies. This paper reports an integrative study of canine leishmaniasis in a region of France spanning the southwest Massif Central and the northeast Pyrenees, where the vectors are the sandflies Phlebotomus ariasi and P.

Bacterial flora as indicated by PCR-temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (TGGE) of 16S rDNA gene fragments from isolated guts of phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae).

In this study, we tested the capacity of Temperature Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (TGGE)-based fingerprinting of 16S rDNA PCR fragments to assess bacterial composition in a single isolated sand fly gut. Bacterial content was studied in different life stages of a laboratory-reared colony of Phlebotomus duboscqi and in a wild-caught Phlebotomus papatasi population. Our study demonstrates that a major reorganization in the gut bacterial community occurs during metamorphosis of sand flies.

Multiple genetic divergences and population expansions of a Mediterranean sandfly, Phlebotomus ariasi, in Europe during the Pleistocene glacial cycles.

Phlebotomus ariasi is one of the two sandflies transmitting the causative agent of zoonotic leishmaniasis, Leishmania infantum, in France and Iberia, and provides a rare case study of the postglacial re-colonization of France by a Mediterranean species. Four DNA sequences were analysed-mitochondrial cytochrome b (cyt b), nuclear elongation factor-1α (EF-1α) and two anonymous nuclear loci-for 14-15 French populations and single populations from northeast Spain, northwest Spain, Portugal and Morocco. The presence of cryptic sibling species was not revealed by phylogenetic analyses and testing for reproductive isolation between sympatric populations defined by the two most divergent cyt b haplogroups.

Genetic structure of Phlebotomus (Larroussius) ariasi populations, the vector of Leishmania infantum in the western Mediterranean: epidemiological implications.

In recent years there has been growing interest in analyzing the geographical variations between populations of different Phlebotomus spp. by comparing the sequences of various genes. However, little is known about the genetic structure of Phlebotomus ariasi.

Phlebotomine sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae) of southern Morocco: results of entomological surveys along the Marrakech-Ouarzazat and Marrakech-Azilal roads.

Since the 1970s, Azilal and Ouarzazat have been the main foci for human cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in Morocco. The sandflies along the main roads linking these two foci to Marrakech city, which is considered to be an area at risk of CL, were recently surveyed. Among the 872 sandflies collected, in June 2005, on the Marrakech-Ouarzazat road, Sergentomyia fallax was the most common species (36.

Faunistic study of the sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in an emerging focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Al Haouz province, Morocco.

The Moroccan province of Al Haouz is an emerging focus of human cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania tropica. In an entomological investigation of three communes in the province (Ourika, Stti Fatma and Rhmate), 3440 sandflies were collected on sticky traps in 2005-2007. Of the six Phlebotomus species caught, Phlebotomus papatasi (13.

Phlebotomine sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae) of the genus Sergentomyia in Marrakech region, Morocco.

We reported the results of an entomological investigation in Marrakech area, in the aim to study the present Sergentomyia species composition. One hundred thirty seven sandflies were collected by sticky papers and they comprised three sub-genera: Parrotomyia (43.1%), Sergentomyia (36.

Isoenzymatic characterization of Phlebotomus papatasi (Diptera: Psychodidae) of the Marrakech area, Morocco.

This study reports the genetic characterization of urban and rural populations of Phlebotomus (Phlebotomus) papatasi Scopoli (Diptera: Psychodidae) in Marrakech, Morocco. Using isoenzymatic analysis, four Moroccan populations were compared with other Mediterranean basin populations from Spain, Cyprus, and Syria. Morphological anomalies were noted in the male genitalia of 5.