April 30, 2024 Anopheles sacharovi discovered in Italy 50 years later.
April 30, 2024
Anopheles saharavimosquito belonging to the complex Anopheles maculipenniswas a historical vector malaria V Italy. The last report of its discovery in the country dates back to the late 1960s.
An investigation that began in 2018 in some historically malaria-endemic areas of Puglia and Basilicata found a single malaria specimen in September 2022 as part of the Anopheles Remnant Surveillance Project. maculipennis sensu lato, collected on the Salentine coast, between the cities of Lecce and Otranto, in the Apulia region, has been molecularly identified as An. Sakharov. This recording led to a special entomological survey in September 2023.
The study was carried out in areas close to the first discovery, focusing on cattle farms, stables and possible breeding sites. Adult and immature mosquitoes were collected through active searching or capture at several natural and rural sites. Mosquitoes belonging to maculipennis were identified morphologically and molecularly using a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay designed specifically for rapid identification.
Of the 11 sites examined, 6 were positive for the presence of Anopheles . All of them An. maculipennis (7 adults, 10 larvae and 3 pupae) identified as An. Sakharov via ITS-2 sequencing.
Larvae of this species were found in natural and protected areas, with virtually no anthropogenic impact, which suggests residual presence also in past decades and possible slow check-infacilitated by less human impact and no pesticide treatment for agricultural use, as well as favorable climatic factors.
Opening An. Sakharov considered missing in Italy for more than 50 years, has great significance and impact on health, highlighting the increased susceptibility of the southern regions and confirms the need to maintain attention and strengthen all preventive measures, in addition to entomological surveillance to combat “residual anophyllism”, as already is done for other mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue or West Nile under the National Arbovirus Surveillance Plan.
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In Italy, six species of anophelines are currently known, belonging to the complex Anopheles maculipennis Meigen, which cannot be distinguished morphologically, among them atroparvus Van Til, 1927 labranchia Falleroni, 1926 maculipennis in the strict sense of Meighen, 1818, An. Hackett, 1934 An. Falleroni, 1926, and type of dacha investigate Linton, Nicolescu and Harbach, 2004.. This seventh taxon is described in the study, Anopheles saharavi Favre, 1903 was widespread throughout the country and gradually disappeared, probably due to the progressive modification of the habitats of its larvae.
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