Microsatellite typing of Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) populations from Germany suggests regular introductions.

Microsatellite typing of Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) populations from Germany suggests regular introductions. Infect Genet Evol. 2020 Feb 08;:104237 Authors: Lühken R, Heitmann A, Jansen S, Schmidt-Chanasit J, Börstler J, Werner D, Kampen H, Kuhn C, Pluskota B, Ferstl I, Jöst A, Becker N, Tannich E Abstract The global spread of the Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus is of concern, as this mosquito species constitutes an important vector of a number of emerging pathogens including dengue virus, chikungunya virus and Zika virus. Since its first appearance in Albania (1979) and Italy (1990), the species has been reported from more than twenty-five European countries. However, the dispersion process in Europe is largely unknown, as information on population genetic structure is lacking, which is relevant to understand the observed spread. In order to determine whether the ten Ae. albopictus populations detected in Germany until 2017 originate from a single introduction event or from independent importations, genetic analyses with a set of sixteen microsatellite markers were performed. The samples included specimens from three locations with potentially overwintering populations, collected in three consecutive years. The results indicate a heterogeneous population structure consisting of two clusters with significant substructuring, suggesting regular, independent introductions instead of a continuous spread across Germany...
Source: Infection, Genetics and Evolution - Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Tags: Infect Genet Evol Source Type: research