Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Akıner M. M. (Yürütücü)
UFUK AVRUPA Projesi, 2023 - 2023
Leishmaniasis constitutes an important public health problem for most countries in the Mediterranean basin, including Turkey. Approximately 3200 autochthonous human cases are reported in Turkey every year. Asymptomatic cases have been estimated at 30-100/1 symptomatic case, and leishmaniasis has up to 25% seroprevalence in domestic dogs. Two leishmaniasis forms are found in Turkey; Leishmania infantum is responsible for the visceral form (VL), and L. tropica causes the cutaneous form (CL). The distribution of phlebotomine sand flies is widely reported to be changing in Europe. This can be attributed to either the discovery of sand flies in areas where they were previously overlooked (generally following an outbreak of leishmaniasis or other sand fly-related disease) or to true expansion of their range as a result of climatic or environmental changes. Phlebotomus sergenti, P. papatasi, P. major and P. syriacus are considered to be the probable vectors, and dogs are the main reservoir of L. infantum, while P. sergenti is the main suspected vector of L. tropica. VL is found in the Aegean, Mediterranean, and Central Anatolia Regions and CL is found in the Southeastern and Mediterranean Regions.
Insecticides play a crucial role in the control of vector-borne diseases, including Leishmaniasis. However, their extensive use can lead to the development of insecticide resistance in vectors, and sandflies are no exception.
In Turkey, leishmaniasis co-occurs in areas which receive insecticidal pressure through vector control applications, potentially impacting the local sand fly populations. Added to that, in response to leishmaniasis outbreaks, spraying of houses with insecticides (cypermethrin) is not uncommon.
Recent entomological surveys showed the continuous presence of population of major sandfly vectors in Turkey. However, very little is known regarding the insecticide resistance status of the vectors.
Upon a positive INFRAVEC2 evaluation, we will monitor the current status of, mainly pyrethroid, insecticide resistance in sand flies from selected leishmaniasis endemic areas. A total of 4-5 different sites have been selected with different insecticide selection pressure on the basis of vector control and other insecticide applications (e.g., urban vs agricultural settings and/or settings with intense agriculture and spraying with insecticides vs protected natural settings).
To date, we have field collected adult sand flies from most of these areas. The samples were instantly preserved, according to guidelines and will be shipped to IMBB-FORTH (ensuring their preservation) for the following analyses:
- Assays for species ID: a subset of 30-50 females per population will be genotyped
- Assays for target site resistance mutations (per species): a subset of 30-50 females per population will be genotyped for the presence/frequency of mutations associated with pyrethroid resistance
-Potentially investigate the presence and underlying mechanisms conferring metabolic resistance with assays analyzing the expression levels of major detoxification genes on a subset of 30 females per population preserved in RNA latter in comparison with susceptible laboratory colonies.