Novel spirochetes isolated from mosquitoes and black flies in the Czech Republic

0345538 - ÚBO 2011 RIV US eng J - Journal Article
Šikutová, Silvie - Halouzka, Jiří - Mendel, Jan - Knoz, J. - Rudolf, Ivo
Novel spirochetes isolated from mosquitoes and black flies in the Czech Republic.
Journal of Vector Ecology. Roč. 35, č. 1 (2010), s. 50-55. ISSN 1081-1710. E-ISSN 1948-7134
R&D Projects: GA ČR GA206/00/1234; GA ČR GA206/03/0726
Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60930519
Keywords : Spirochetes * mosquitoes * black flies * tabanid flies * Czech Republic
Subject RIV: FN - Epidemiology, Contagious Diseases ; Clinical Immunology
Impact factor: 1.256, year: 2010

During the years 1999-2002, a total of 4,898 individuals of 26 species of hematophagous insects (4,149 mosquitoes, 583 black flies, and 166 tabanid flies) was examined for the presence of spirochetes using dark-field microscopy. There was an overall recovery of spirochetes from the midguts of Culicidae and Simuliidae of 23.5% and 11.4%, respectively. Spirochetes were not detected in Tabanidae. Seven spirochetal strains have been successfully recovered from mosquitoes and black flies: BR149 (Culex pipiens), BR151 (Cx. pipiens), BR173 (Cx. pipiens), BR177 (Cx. pipiens), BR193 (Aedes cinereus), BR208 (Cx. pipiens), and BR231 (Simulium noelleri). The strains have been adapted to laboratory conditions (BSK-H Complete medium). Their preliminary determination based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing has shown that they differ from the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato as well as other members of the Order Spirochaetales indicating novel bacterial species in the Family Spirochaetaceae.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0186788