Occurrence and Spread of the Invasive Asian Bush Mosquito Aedes japonicus japonicus (Diptera: Culicidae) in West and North Germany since Detection in 2012 and 2013, Respectively.

The Asian bush mosquito Aedes japonicus, endemic to East Asia, is one of the most expansive mosquito species in the world and has as yet established in 15 countries of Europe. Within Germany, the species has been spreading tremendously during the last years, and its four once geographically isolated populations were on the verge of merging in 2017. To reveal relationships and carry-over ways between the various populations, and thus, migration and displacement routes, the genetic make-up of Ae. japonicus from ten different locations throughout its German distribution area was investigated. For this purpose, a part of the mitochondrial DNA (nad4 gene) of collected specimens was sequenced and seven loci of short tandem repeats (microsatellites) were genotyped. When related to similar genetic studies carried out between 2012 and 2015, the results suggest that admixtures had since occurred, but no complete genetic mixture of populations had taken place. At the time of sampling for the present study, the western collection sites were still uniform in their genetic make-up; however, a carry-over of individuals from the southeastern to the northern and southwestern German populations was determined. Further introductions from abroad are possible. In summary, the genetic diversity of Ae. japonicus in Germany had grown considerably, thus increasing ecological variability and adaptability of the species. At this point (10years after the first detection), it is not possible anymore to draw conclusions on the origins of the populations.

Some limnic copepod species are predators of mosquito larvae. Seven species belonging to the order Cyclopoida, family Cyclopidae, were collected in the field in Germany and tested for the first time in laboratory bioassays for their potential to serve as biological control agents of the invasive Asian bush mosquito Aedes japonicus (Theobald), a vector of various pathogens causing disease. Females of Diacyclops bicuspidatus (Claus) did not attack 1st instar larvae of Ae. japonicus, but Macrocyclops distinctus (Richard), Cyclops divergens Lindberg, and C. heberti Einsle predated a mean of 14, 18, or 19 1st instar larvae, respectively. Acanthocyclops einslei Mirabdullayev and Defaye killed 30 larvae, and high predation rates with a mean of 39 or 46 larvae, respectively, were obtained by Megacyclops viridis (Jurine) and M. gigas (Claus). In regression analyses, predation rates by M. viridis correlated with body size, with specimens of 1.8 mm length being more effective than smaller or bigger ones. Based on the presented data, the two Megacyclops species seem to be promising candidates for use in field studies on the biological control of Ae. japonicus.

Simple SummaryIn the last years several alien mosquito species have been introduced into Austria. Those species pose a threat, as they—especially the Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus)—can transmit many pathogens. The aim of this study is a nationwide overview on the situation of alien mosquitoes in Austria. Using traps representing ideal breeding sites for those mosquitoes, we collected, counted and identified the species of the mosquito eggs laid in the traps. The Asian tiger mosquito was found at two sites, once in Tyrol, where this species has been reported before, and for the first time in the province of Lower Austria. The Asian bush mosquito (Aedes japonicus) was widespread and abundant in Austria. Although it was found in all provinces, the Asian bush mosquito was more often found in the South than the North and more eggs were collected in urban/industrial/transport areas than in (mostly) natural areas. Further, more eggs from the Asian bush mosquito were found in samples collected at higher daily mean temperatures, and fewer eggs in samples collected at higher daily maximum wind speeds. The results of this study will help to better understand the risk from alien mosquitoes to human health in Austria and will be useful to show future changes in the distribution of those species.In Austria, only fragmented information on the occurrence of alien and potentially invasive mosquito species exists. The aim of this study is a nationwide overview on the situation of those mosquitoes in Austria. Using a nationwide uniform protocol for the first time, mosquito eggs were sampled with ovitraps at 45 locations in Austria at weekly intervals from May to October 2020. The sampled eggs were counted and the species were identified by genetic analysis. The Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus was found at two sites, once in Tyrol, where this species has been reported before, and for the first time in the province of Lower Austria, at a motorway rest stop. The Asian bush mosquito Aedes japonicus was widespread in Austria. It was found in all provinces and was the most abundant species in the ovitraps by far. Aedes japonicus was more abundant in the South than in the North and more eggs were found in habitats with artificial surfaces than in (semi-) natural areas. Further, the number of Ae. japonicus eggs increased with higher ambient temperature and decreased with higher wind speed. The results of this study will contribute to a better estimation of the risk of mosquito-borne disease in Austria and will be a useful baseline for a future documentation of changes in the distribution of those species.

After the first detection of the Asian bush mosquito Aedes japonicus japonicus in the year 2000 in France, its invasive nature was revealed in 2008 in Switzerland and Germany. In the following years, accumulating reports have shown that Ae. j. japonicus succeeded in establishing in several European countries. Surveillance efforts suggest that there are currently four populations in Europe, with the largest one, formed by the recent fusion of several smaller populations, ranging from West Germany, with extensions to Luxembourg and French Alsace, southwards to Switzerland and continuing westwards through Liechtenstein to western Austria. This paper summarises the present distribution of Ae. j. japonicus in Europe, based on published literature and hitherto unpublished findings by the authors, and critically reviews the monitoring strategies applied. A proposal for a more standardised monitoring approach is provided, aiming at the harmonisation of future data collections for improving the comparability between studies and the suitability of collected data for further research purposes, e.g. predictive modelling approaches.

Defining the root-crown ratio of the permanent teeth is important in making or changing proper treatment plans in dentistry. To define and compare the root-crown ratios of the permanent teeth of healthy, young Hungarian, German, and Japanese populations. We adapted Hölttä's method. 95 Hungarian, 104 Japanese and 110 German young patients' panoramic X-rays (made between 2001 and 2006) were involved in the investigation. Difference between the genders was found non-significant; between the corresponding antagonists many times, but not all significant. The highest root-crown ratios were found in all investigated populations by the lower canines and premolars, the lowest by the upper molars. P≤0,001 was not found among the three populations. Significant differences were found between Japanese and German populations by all tooth-types; between Japanese and Hungarian populations by near half of the tooth-types; between Hungarian and German populations by only a few tooth-types. More significant differences were found in root-crown ratios in the lower jaw among the populations. The mean value of the root-crown ratios was the highest in the German population; medium in the Hungarian population; and the least in the Japanese population, with a few exceptions: upper lateral incisors, canines and first molars. The biggest differences were found between the German and Japanese populations; the least between the Hungarian and the German populations. Our paper describes the control values of the root-crown ratios of the tooth types in young, healthy Hungarian, German, and Japanese populations. Orv Hetil. 2021; 162(46): 1848-1855.

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) identified several genetic risk factors for breast cancer, however, most of them were validated among women of European ancestry. This study examined single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) contributing to breast cancer in Chinese (984 cases and 2206 controls) and German (311 cases and 960 controls) populations. Eighteen SNPs significantly associated with breast cancer, previously identified in GWAS were genotyped. Twelve SNPs passed quality control and were subjected to statistical analysis. Seven SNPs were confirmed to be significantly associated with breast cancer in the Chinese population, reflecting three independent loci (ESR1, FGFR2, TOX3) and five of these were also confirmed in the German population. The strongest association was identified for rs2046210 in the Chinese (odds ratio (OR)=1.42, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.28-1.59, P=1.9 × 10(-10)) and rs3803662 in the German population (OR=1.43, 95% CI=1.17-1.74, P=4.01 × 10(-4)), located upstream of the ESR1 and TOX3 gene, respectively. For the first time, rs3757318 at 6q25.1, located next to the gene encoding estrogen receptor α (ESR1) was found to be strongly associated with breast cancer (OR=1.33, 95% CI=1.18-1.49, P=1.94 × 10(-6)) in the Chinese population. The frequency of this variant was markedly lower in the German population and the association was not significant. Despite the genetic differences, essentially the same risk loci were identified in the Chinese and the German populations. Our study suggested the existence of common genetic factors as well as disease susceptibility differences for breast cancer in both populations and highlighted the importance of performing comparison analyses for disease susceptibility within ethnic populations.

The populations of the large cities of the former Federal Republic of Germany (cities with at least 100 000 inhabitants) have been characterised by a continuing downward trend since the beginning of the 1980s. The number of inhabitants, which had already been decreasing during the 1970s, had registered a loss of 3.6 per cent by 1987. Subsequently, however, the trend reversed and, from 1988 to 1994, the population of the large cities in West Germany increased by about 6 per cent. Does this reversal indicate the beginning of a process of reurbanisation and, in cyclic terms, has the urban development changed to more traditional patterns of population redistribution? The increase in population in the large cities around 1990 was rather different from former urbanisation processes. The concentration was a temporary phenomenon and affected predominantly persons of foreign nationality, whereas the German population was still going through a deconcentration process. There are several contributing factors, including the political upheavals in eastern Europe, the accelerated economic restructuring in the 1980s and improvements in communication and transport technology. Globalisation with its worldwide expansion of communication networks also played a role, allocating gateway functions to larger centres in favourable locations. The paper analyses the effects of urban economy and city size on the balances of migration movements of the large cities in West Germany since 1980, especially on the different distribution patterns of the German and foreign populations.

BackgroundThe Asian bush mosquito Aedes japonicus is invading Europe and was first discovered in Lelystad, the Netherlands in 2013, where it has established a permanent population. In this study, we investigated the vector competence of Ae. japonicus from the Netherlands for the emerging Zika virus (ZIKV) and zoonotic Usutu virus (USUV). ZIKV causes severe congenital microcephaly and Guillain-Barré syndrome in humans. USUV is closely related to West Nile virus, has recently spread throughout Europe and is causing mass mortality of birds. USUV infection in humans can result in clinical manifestations ranging from mild disease to severe neurological impairments.Methodology/Principal findingsIn our study, field-collected Ae. japonicus females received an infectious blood meal with ZIKV or USUV by droplet feeding. After 14 days at 28°C, 3% of the ZIKV-blood fed mosquitoes and 13% of the USUV-blood fed mosquitoes showed virus-positive saliva, indicating that Ae. japonicus can transmit both viruses. To investigate the effect of the mosquito midgut barrier on virus transmission, female mosquitoes were intrathoracically injected with ZIKV or USUV. Of the injected mosquitoes, 96% (ZIKV) and 88% (USUV) showed virus-positive saliva after 14 days at 28°C. This indicates that ZIKV and USUV can efficiently replicate in Ae. japonicus but that a strong midgut barrier is normally restricting virus dissemination. Small RNA deep sequencing of orally infected mosquitoes confirmed active replication of ZIKV and USUV, as demonstrated by potent small interfering RNA responses against both viruses. Additionally, de novo small RNA assembly revealed the presence of a novel narnavirus in Ae. japonicus.Conclusions/SignificanceGiven that Ae. japonicus can experimentally transmit arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) like ZIKV and USUV and is currently expanding its territories, we should consider this mosquito as a potential vector for arboviral diseases in Europe.

The citizen science project ‘Mueckenatlas’ (mosquito atlas) was implemented in early 2012 to improve mosquito surveillance in Germany. Citizens are asked to support the spatiotemporal mapping of culicids by submitting mosquito specimens collected in their private surroundings. The Mueckenatlas has developed into an efficient tool for data collection with close to 30,000 mosquitoes submitted by the end of 2015. While the vast majority of submissions included native mosquito species, a small percentage represented invasive species. The discovery of Aedes albopictus (Skuse) (Diptera: Culicidae), Aedes japonicus japonicus (Theobald) (Diptera: Culicidae) and Aedes koreicus (Edwards) (Diptera: Culicidae) specimens via the Mueckenatlas project prompted targeted monitoring activities in the field which produced additional information on the distribution of these species in Germany. Among others, Mueckenatlas submissions led to the detection of three populations of Ae. j. japonicus in West, North and Southeast Germany in 2012, 2013, and 2015, respectively. As demonstrated by on-site monitoring, the origins of Ae. j. japonicus specimens submitted to the Mueckenatlas mirror the distribution areas of the four presently known German populations as found by active field sampling (the fourth population already reported prior to the launch of the Mueckenatlas). The data suggest that a citizen science project such as the Mueckenatlas may aid in detecting changes in the mosquito fauna and can therefore be used to guide the design of more targeted field surveillance activities.

Floodplain meadows are severely threatened by land use change and intensification in Central Europe. This study investigates quantitative and qualitative changes in the vegetation of wet and species-rich mesic meadows in the floodplains of north Germany since the 1950s, considering their spatial extent, fragmentation, and replacement by other land use types. Historical high-resolution vegetation maps were compared with recent vegetation surveys in seven study regions (six unprotected areas, one protected reference area) in former West and East Germany. The unprotected sites showed alarming losses in wet and species-rich mesic meadows in the past 50 years (>80%). Wet meadows were substituted by species-poor, intensively managed grasslands (26–60% of the former area), arable fields (0–47%) or set-asides (2–33%). Species-rich mesic meadows were transformed to arable fields (42–72%) or species-poor, intensively managed meadows (14–72%). Decreases in effective mesh size and patch size indicated increasing fragmentation of wet meadows, whilst changes in landscape structure were less consistent in mesic meadows. Only slight changes in the protected floodplain study area indicate that landscape change is mostly caused by local effects such as fertilisation and drainage, but not by general trends such as atmospheric N deposition or climate warming. Despite the contrasting political systems in West and East Germany with different agroeconomic frames, all unprotected study areas showed similar losses and increasing fragmentation of floodplain meadows, which may negatively influence the natural dynamics of, and the gene flow between, meadow plant populations. We conclude that floodplain meadows in north Germany urgently call for high-priority conservation measures.

Nemurella pictetii Klapálek, 1900 (Plecoptera: Nemouridae) has bi-or trimodal emergence patterns in Central Europe. The emergence threshold temperature is about 8°C. Egg development is direct. The slopes of regressions describing its temperature dependence do not differ significantly between English, Norwegian and German populations, but the intercepts (i.e., the incubation period at 0°C) do. Regular sampling of a benthic population near Schlitz, in Hesse, West Germany, showed that part of the offspring of the first emergence group grew quickly and produced a second emergence peak. The remaining offspring of the first generation grew more slowly and overwintered, together with the offspring of the second emergence peak. This population exhibits partial bivoltinism. The potential for bivoltinism was also shown in laboratory rearings of a German population at a constant 14°C: many eggs yielded normal adults after about 120 days. Larval growth rates were up to 2.2% body length day-1, much higher than for English Nemurella (unimodal emergence), or any other stonefly. The thermal sum (degree-days above 0°C) accumulated between the two emergence peaks, at the German sites studied, resembled cumulated degree-days in a laboratory culture. For an Austrian population with trimodal emergence, degree-days accumulated in the field were lower, suggesting a lower temperature demand and partial trivoltinism. This is the only case of confirmed plurivoltinism in Plecoptera. Nemurella pictetii seems to have lost seasonal life cycle cues, enabling the opportunistic use of favourable local conditions. Population synchrony appears to be regulated by the thermal demand for development and the emergence threshold temperature.

Departmentof Pharmacology, University of Bern, Bern, SwitzerlandKey words: atopic dermatitis; clinical features;constitutional dermatitis; epidemiology; extrinsictype; immunopathology; intrinsic type.Prof. Dr B. Wu¨thrichAllergy Unit, Department of DermatologyUniversity Hospital8091 ZurichSwitzerlandAccepted for publication 22 March 2001

The amplifiable VNTR polymorphic system COL2A1 has been investigated in Chinese and German population samples. In order to accurately identify COL2A1 alleles, a number of human allele ladders were prepared. A total of 14 different alleles in 23 genotypes was observed in the Chinese population, while in the German population there were 11 alleles in 24 genotypes. Four new alleles were observed. All of them were found in the Chinese and one was also observed in the German population. There was no statistical difference in the allele distribution between two German populations from Münster and Köln, while the allele frequency distribution in the Chinese population differed significantly from the German.

One of the most important events in the world after World War II was the reunification of Germany, during the late 1980s and early 1990s. The aim of this paper is to discuss the general economic conditions in Germany, before and after the reunification. This paper is divided into four parts. The introductory section provides a summative discussion of the economic conditions in East and West Germany from World War II until the time of reunification. The second section presents an evaluation of the German economy since the reunification. The third section presents macroeconomic data to illustrate the general impact of the unification on the German economy. The final section offers concluding remarks and recommendations.

The Asian bush mosquito Aedes japonicus is rapidly invading North America and Europe. Due to its potential to transmit multiple pathogenic arthropod–borne (arbo)viruses including Zika virus, West Nile virus, and chikungunya virus, it is important to understand the biology of this vector mosquito in more detail. In addition to arboviruses, mosquitoes can also carry insect-specific viruses that are receiving increasing attention due to their potential effects on host physiology and arbovirus transmission. In this study, we characterized the collection of viruses, referred to as the virome, circulating in Ae. japonicus populations in the Netherlands and France. Applying a small RNA-based metagenomic approach to Ae. japonicus, we uncovered a distinct group of viruses present in samples from both the Netherlands and France. These included one known virus, Ae. japonicus narnavirus 1 (AejapNV1), and three new virus species that we named Ae. japonicus totivirus 1 (AejapTV1), Ae. japonicus anphevirus 1 (AejapAV1) and Ae. japonicus bunyavirus 1 (AejapBV1). We also discovered sequences that were presumably derived from two additional novel viruses: Ae. japonicus bunyavirus 2 (AejapBV2) and Ae. japonicus rhabdovirus 1 (AejapRV1). All six viruses induced strong RNA interference responses, including the production of twenty-one nucleotide-sized small interfering RNAs, a signature of active replication in the host. Notably, AejapBV1 and AejapBV2 belong to different viral families; however, no RNA-dependent RNA polymerase sequence has been found for AejapBV2. Intriguingly, our small RNA-based approach identified an ∼1-kb long ambigrammatic RNA that is associated with AejapNV1 as a secondary segment but showed no similarity to any sequence in public databases. We confirmed the presence of AejapNV1 primary and secondary segments, AejapTV1, AejapAV1, and AejapBV1 by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in wild-caught Ae. japonicus mosquitoes. AejapNV1 and AejapTV1 were found at high prevalence (87–100 per cent) in adult females, adult males, and larvae. Using a small RNA-based, sequence-independent metagenomic strategy, we uncovered a conserved and prevalent virome among Ae. japonicus mosquito populations. The high prevalence of AejapNV1 and AejapTV1 across all tested mosquito life stages suggests that these viruses are intimately associated with Ae. japonicus.