Abstract

BackgroundPhlebotomine sand flies are known to transmit Leishmania parasites, bacteria and viruses that affect humans and animals in many countries worldwide. Precise sand fly identification is essential to prevent phlebotomine-borne diseases. Over the past two decades, progress in matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has emerged as an accurate tool for arthropod identification. The objective of the present study was to investigate the usefulness of MALDI-TOF MS as a tool for identifying field-caught phlebotomine.Methodology/Principal FindingsSand flies were captured in four sites in north Algeria. A subset was morphologically and genetically identified. Six species were found in these areas and a total of 28 stored frozen specimens were used for the creation of the reference spectrum database. The relevance of this original method for sand fly identification was validated by two successive blind tests including the morphological identification of 80 new specimens which were stored at -80°C, and 292 unknown specimens, including engorged specimens, which were preserved under different conditions. Intra-species reproducibility and inter-species specificity of the protein profiles were obtained, allowing us to distinguish specimens at the gender level. Querying of the sand fly database using the MS spectra from the blind test groups revealed concordant results between morphological and MALDI-TOF MS identification. However, MS identification results were less efficient for specimens which were engorged or stored in alcohol. Identification of 362 phlebotomine sand flies, captured at four Algerian sites, by MALDI-TOF MS, revealed that the subgenus Larroussius was predominant at all the study sites, except for in M’sila where P. (Phlebotomus) papatasi was the only sand fly species detected.ConclusionThe present study highlights the application of MALDI-TOF MS for monitoring sand fly fauna captured in the field. The low cost, reliability and rapidity of MALDI-TOF MS analyses opens up new ways in the management of phlebotomine sand fly-borne diseases.

Highlights

  • Phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) are small, blood-sucking insects that feed on a wide range of hosts, and potentially act as vectors for pathogens responsible for human and animal diseases worldwide

  • Leishmaniasis occurs in two clinical forms: cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) and visceral leishmaniasis (VL) [2]

  • Phlebotomine sand flies were caught between June 2012 and October 2013 in four regions of North Algeria, Mostaganem (35°53’39” N, 0°05’25” E), Tizi-Ouzou (36°42’21” N, 4°17’13” E), Annaba (36°65’00” N, 7°58’33” E) and M’sila (35°35’13” N, 4°40’08” E), where cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis have been reported (Table 1) [4,31]

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Summary

Introduction

Phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) are small, blood-sucking insects that feed on a wide range of hosts, and potentially act as vectors for pathogens responsible for human and animal diseases worldwide. Of more than 800 sand fly species which have been described to date, approximately 10% are suspected or proven vectors of bacteria, arboviruses including sandfly fever Sicilian and Toscana viruses, and parasites such as Leishmania [1]. Leishmaniasis occurs in two clinical forms: cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) and visceral leishmaniasis (VL) [2]. Maghreb is known to be one of the most endemic areas of leishmaniases where both visceral and cutaneous forms are reported [3]. Phlebotomine sand flies are known to transmit Leishmania parasites, bacteria and viruses that affect humans and animals in many countries worldwide. The objective of the present study was to investigate the usefulness of MALDI-TOF MS as a tool for identifying fieldcaught phlebotomine

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