Individual Variations in Phlebotomus papatasi Collected from Different Localities in Saudi Arabia
A method of typing Phlebotomus taxa in three areas in Saudi Arabia (Riyadh,
Madinah and Asir) using morphological characteristics revealed that the phlebotomine
species is Phlebotomus papatasi. This identification was confirmed by establishing a
polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and direct partial sequences of 18S ribosomal RNA
(rRNA) gene using specific designed Primers SandF1:5′-
AGGCTCATTCAGTCGCTTTC-3′ and SandR1:5′-
TGCAAGCTTATGACTCACACTT-3′. Morphological individual variations were
also observed among some collected specimens. Nevertheless, genetic analysis
confirmed that these specimens were also P. papatasi. PCR-amplified amplicons
using ChromasPro. MEGA 5 program and neighbor joining (NJ) methods revealed
several direct sequences for P. papatasi that were submitted in GenBank under the
accession number JQ929125. In conclusion, the obtained results establish a powerful
tool for the molecular taxonomy of Phlebotomus spp. in endemic areas to plan
appropriate epidemiological surveillance programs that could be used to detect natural
infections of sand fly vectors with pathogens.
Aedes aegypti (Culicidae), the mosquito that causes yellow fever, is regarded as a significant vector for
many disease agents. The current study sought to learn more about mosquito mid-gut…