Abstract
Identification of mosquito species is necessary for determining the entomological components of malaria transmission, but it can be difficult in morphologically similar species. DNA sequences are largely used as an additional tool for species recognition, including those that belong to species complexes. Kerteszia mosquitoes are vectors of human and simian malaria in the Neotropical Region, but there are few DNA sequences of Kerteszia species in public databases. In order to provide relevant information about diversity and improve knowledge in taxonomy of Kerteszia species in Peru, we sequenced part of the mitochondrial genome, including the cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) barcode region. Phylogenetic analyses structured all species of mosquitoes collected in Peru into a single clade, separate from the Brazilian species. The Peruvian clade was composed of two lineages, encompassing sequences from Anopheles (Kerteszia) boliviensis and Anopheles (Kerteszia) pholidotus. An. pholidotus sequences were recorded for the first time in Peru, whereas An. boliviensis sequences were for the first time published in the GenBank database. Sequences generated from specimens morphologically identified as Anopheles (Kerteszia) cruzii clustered into three separate clades according to the collection localities of Serra do Mar, Serra da Mantiqueira, and Serra da Cantareira, confirming An. cruzii as a species complex, composed of at least three putative species.
Highlights
Malaria is a mosquito-borne tropical disease that remains an important public health problem in some tropical and subtropical countries
This approach was used with the aim of increasing the number of sequences in the phylogenetic tree, as there are no complete mitochondrial sequences available for some Kerteszia species such as An. neivai, An. pholidotus, and An. lepidotus
The analysis of genetic differentiation of c oxidase I (COI) and ND4 genes indicated that there are at least two Kerteszia species occurring in Peru: An. boliviensis and An. pholidotus
Summary
Malaria is a mosquito-borne tropical disease that remains an important public health problem in some tropical and subtropical countries. Are mainly concentrated in Venezuela, Brazil, and Peru, which registered 30%, 24%, and 19% of the American malaria cases in 2015, respectively [1]. In Peru, malaria transmission occurs throughout the year in rural areas below 2000 m altitude, with the highest risk in the department of Loreto in the Amazon Region, which registered 96% of the. In 2017, the department of Cusco, where mosquitoes from this study were collected, registered an increase of 41% in the malaria cases in relation to 2016, being the fifth department in Peru in number of cases [2]. An outbreak of 34 cases of malaria due to Plasmodium vivax was reported in Tumbes Department, in the northern part of the country, which included 22 autochthonous cases and 12 cases imported from
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
