Presence of the Anopheles culicifacies complex species A in southeast Iran
Abstract Background The Anopheles culicifacies complex is one of the most important malaria vectors in Southeast Asia and Southeastern Iran. Although the sibling species within this complex are morphologically indistinguishable, they differ significantly in their disease transmission potential, bloo...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Tropical Medicine and Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s41182-025-00683-y |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832594405548097536 |
|---|---|
| author | Seyed Massoud Madjdzadeh Nahid Behi Mohammad Amin Gorouhi Arsalan Amirkafi Mohammad Ali Oshaghi |
| author_facet | Seyed Massoud Madjdzadeh Nahid Behi Mohammad Amin Gorouhi Arsalan Amirkafi Mohammad Ali Oshaghi |
| author_sort | Seyed Massoud Madjdzadeh |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background The Anopheles culicifacies complex is one of the most important malaria vectors in Southeast Asia and Southeastern Iran. Although the sibling species within this complex are morphologically indistinguishable, they differ significantly in their disease transmission potential, blood-feeding behaviour, and other biological traits. Cytogenetic and chromosomal studies have identified five sibling species within this complex: A, B, C, D, and E. Understanding the species composition and distribution of this complex is crucial for malaria control strategies. Objectives This study aimed to identify the sibling species of the An. culicifacies complex in Qaleh Ganj County, Kerman Province, Southeastern Iran. Specifically, the study sought to determine the presence of species A, which is known to be a primary vector of malaria in the region. Methods We employed allele-specific PCR and sequencing PCR techniques to identify the sibling species. DNA was extracted from mosquito specimens, and the D3 region of the 28S rDNA gene and a segment of the COII gene from the mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) were targeted for amplification and sequencing. Results Data analysis revealed a positive correlation between An. culicifacies s.l. specimens and altitude, with most specimens collected from mountainous areas. Both allele-specific PCR and sequencing PCR confirmed the presence of species A in the study areas of Kerman Province. Conclusions Given that species A is a primary malaria vector, the findings of this study provide valuable insights for guiding malaria control strategies in Southeastern Iran. Further studies are recommended to assess the vector competence and ecological dynamics of other species within the An. culicifacies complex in the region. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-52782365f55c4c45840156e9f7c8f666 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1349-4147 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Tropical Medicine and Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-52782365f55c4c45840156e9f7c8f6662025-01-19T12:39:11ZengBMCTropical Medicine and Health1349-41472025-01-015311810.1186/s41182-025-00683-yPresence of the Anopheles culicifacies complex species A in southeast IranSeyed Massoud Madjdzadeh0Nahid Behi1Mohammad Amin Gorouhi2Arsalan Amirkafi3Mohammad Ali Oshaghi4Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Shahid Bahonar University of KermanDepartment of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Shahid Bahonar University of KermanDepartment of Vector Biology and Control, School of Public Health, Kerman University of Medical SciencesDepartment of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Shahid Bahonar University of KermanDepartment of Vector Biology and Control of Diseases, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical SciencesAbstract Background The Anopheles culicifacies complex is one of the most important malaria vectors in Southeast Asia and Southeastern Iran. Although the sibling species within this complex are morphologically indistinguishable, they differ significantly in their disease transmission potential, blood-feeding behaviour, and other biological traits. Cytogenetic and chromosomal studies have identified five sibling species within this complex: A, B, C, D, and E. Understanding the species composition and distribution of this complex is crucial for malaria control strategies. Objectives This study aimed to identify the sibling species of the An. culicifacies complex in Qaleh Ganj County, Kerman Province, Southeastern Iran. Specifically, the study sought to determine the presence of species A, which is known to be a primary vector of malaria in the region. Methods We employed allele-specific PCR and sequencing PCR techniques to identify the sibling species. DNA was extracted from mosquito specimens, and the D3 region of the 28S rDNA gene and a segment of the COII gene from the mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) were targeted for amplification and sequencing. Results Data analysis revealed a positive correlation between An. culicifacies s.l. specimens and altitude, with most specimens collected from mountainous areas. Both allele-specific PCR and sequencing PCR confirmed the presence of species A in the study areas of Kerman Province. Conclusions Given that species A is a primary malaria vector, the findings of this study provide valuable insights for guiding malaria control strategies in Southeastern Iran. Further studies are recommended to assess the vector competence and ecological dynamics of other species within the An. culicifacies complex in the region.https://doi.org/10.1186/s41182-025-00683-yAnopheles culicifaciesAllele-specific PCRSequencing PCR28S-D3 rDNACOIIIran |
| spellingShingle | Seyed Massoud Madjdzadeh Nahid Behi Mohammad Amin Gorouhi Arsalan Amirkafi Mohammad Ali Oshaghi Presence of the Anopheles culicifacies complex species A in southeast Iran Tropical Medicine and Health Anopheles culicifacies Allele-specific PCR Sequencing PCR 28S-D3 rDNA COII Iran |
| title | Presence of the Anopheles culicifacies complex species A in southeast Iran |
| title_full | Presence of the Anopheles culicifacies complex species A in southeast Iran |
| title_fullStr | Presence of the Anopheles culicifacies complex species A in southeast Iran |
| title_full_unstemmed | Presence of the Anopheles culicifacies complex species A in southeast Iran |
| title_short | Presence of the Anopheles culicifacies complex species A in southeast Iran |
| title_sort | presence of the anopheles culicifacies complex species a in southeast iran |
| topic | Anopheles culicifacies Allele-specific PCR Sequencing PCR 28S-D3 rDNA COII Iran |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s41182-025-00683-y |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT seyedmassoudmadjdzadeh presenceoftheanophelesculicifaciescomplexspeciesainsoutheastiran AT nahidbehi presenceoftheanophelesculicifaciescomplexspeciesainsoutheastiran AT mohammadamingorouhi presenceoftheanophelesculicifaciescomplexspeciesainsoutheastiran AT arsalanamirkafi presenceoftheanophelesculicifaciescomplexspeciesainsoutheastiran AT mohammadalioshaghi presenceoftheanophelesculicifaciescomplexspeciesainsoutheastiran |