Andreas Krüger

Background: Vector-borne diseases (VBD) are of growing global importance. Sand flies are potential vectors for phleboviruses (family Phenuiviridae) including Toscana virus (TOSV), Sicilian virus, Sandfly fever, Naples virus, and Leishmania parasites in Europe. To date, only two phlebotomine species have been recorded for Germany: Phlebotomus perniciosus and Phlebotomus mascittii. This study updates the distribution and abundance of the two occurring species. Methods: An entomological field study was carried out during 2015–2018 to assess the abundance of sand flies in Southwest Germany within the federal states Baden-Wuerttemberg (BW) and Rhineland-Palatinate (RLP). A total of 176 collection sites were examined using CDC light traps. Results: A total of 149 individuals of P. mascittii were collected. During 2015–2018, P. mascittii was found at all sites known positive from previous studies and was detected at 15 additional sites previously unknown for the presence of sand flies. Although the environment has changed considerably in 30 years, no significant difference in sand fly dynamics and distribution was found. Phlebotomus perniciosus has only been trapped once since 2001. Conclusions: This study showed that sand flies occur in different areas in Southern Germany where they had not been recorded previously. Therefore, it can be assumed that they are more widespread than expected. In addition, sand flies could be found over several years at the same trapping sites, indicating population stability. This supports the need for continued surveillance of possible vector populations and urgent clarification of the vector competence of P. mascittii.

A vehicle-mounted "car-net" is a rarely used technique of insect sampling. In Liberia, it was used over several consecutive months, and the first results of taxonomic analyses of Heteroptera from the by-catch are presented, namely on the mirid subfamily Isometopinae ("jumping tree bugs"). So far, no isometopine species have been known from Liberia. New records of Isometopinae in Liberia are provided including: Isometopus slateri (Akingbohungbe), Myiomma cobbeni Akingbohungbe, M. rubra Smith, and M. rubrovenata Smith. Additional new species are described, including: Isometopus bongensis sp. nov., Paloniella garmsi sp. nov., P. erinacea sp. nov., Ptisca liberiense sp. nov., Myiomma albostiolata sp. nov., M. brunnea sp. nov., M. fuscipes sp. nov., M. goellneri sp. nov. and M. variabilis sp. nov. A new genus with one included species is similarly described as follows: Bongiella nodistylis gen. nov. et sp. nov.

Amongst blackfly samples from western Uganda three different morphospecies of the Simulium (Nevermannia) nigritarse Coquillett subgroup were identified. Of these, S. perforatum Fain & Dujardin showed the widest distribution and is reported from Uganda for the first time. In addition, two new species are described: S. bwambanum sp. nov. and S. itwariense sp. nov. Diagnostic characters are the different structures of the pupal cocoon, the configurations of the gill filaments and adult colour features.

Despite being a small country, Kosovo represents one of the few foci of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) in Europe. The distribution of Kosovar tick vectors and the evolution of CCHF virus in ticks are both as yet unknown. A better description of the extent and the genetic diversity of CCHFV in ticks from endemic settings is essential, in order to be controlled. We investigated the 2012 distribution of Kosovar ticks alongside the prevalence and the phylogeography of tick-derived CCHFV. Hyalomma marginatum dominated in the endemic municipalities with 90.2% versus 24.3% in the non-endemic regions. Of 1,102 tested ticks, 40 (3.6%) were CCHFV-positive, belonging to H. marginatum (29), Rhipicephalus bursa (10), and Ixodes ricinus (1). The virus strains clustered with clade V and VI related sequences. They fell into two lineages: Kosovo I and II. Kosovo I comprised strains recovered exclusively from R. bursa ticks and was closely related to AP92 prototype strain. Kosovo II clustered into Kosovo IIa, including human-derived strains, and IIb including only strains detected in H. marginatum and I. ricinus. Our phylogeographic reconstruction suggests two temporally distinct CCHFV introductions: the most probable location of the most recent common ancestor of Kosovo I lineage was in Greece (63 years ago) and that of lineages IIa-b in Turkey (35 years ago). After each CCHFV introduction into Kosovo, subsequent lineage expansions suggest periods of in situ evolution. The study provides the first insight into the genetic variability and the origin of CCHFV in ticks from Kosovo. Our findings indicate the spreading of CCHFV to non-endemic areas, which underlines the importance of further studies in order to monitor and predict future CCHF outbreaks in Kosovo. The AP92-like strains appear to be more widespread than previously thought and may provide a promising target for experimental studies due to their assumed low pathogenicity. Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) is the most widespread tick-borne virus affecting humans. Its distribution coincides with that of Old World Hyalomma tick vectors. The virus circulates in an enzootic cycle, where hard ticks are both vectors and reservoirs, and mammals the amplifying hosts. Accidentally, humans become infected as dead-end hosts. One of the few CCHF-endemic European countries is Kosovo, where an annual average of ten sporadic cases, with a mean mortality rate of 18%, are reported. In this study, the tick distribution, CCHFV prevalence and the phylogeography of the tick-derived strains from 2012 were investigated. The majority of ticks belonged to Hyalomma marginatum, the main vector of CCHFV. Indeed, of 40 CCHFV-positive ticks, 29 were H. marginatum. The phylogenetic analyses revealed that 30 viral strains formed a distinct lineage within clade V (Europe 1) and were closely related to previously known strains from humans and ticks from the Balkans. However, ten isolates from Rhipicephalus bursa ticks, collected in a non-endemic region, turned out to cluster within a very divergent CCHFV clade (Europe 2), so far only known from Greece and Turkey. Since these strains presumably develop only subclinical or mild infections in humans, they might be suitable for experimental vaccine studies.

In Europe, mosquito-related public health concerns are growing due to the increasing spread of invasive mosquito species and the recent emergence of mosquito-borne arboviruses. A vital backbone in the assessment of these issues is detailed knowledge of the mosquito fauna, i.e. regional mosquito inventories. It was therefore decided to intensify nationwide investigations on the occurrence and distribution of mosquitoes in Germany in order to update old records and to detect possible faunal changes. This paper is focussing on a densely populated metropolitan region, the federal state of Hamburg and its adjacent environs, taking two historical baseline inventories into consideration, spanning almost 100 years of mosquito research in Hamburg. In the period between 2010 and 2014, more than 10,000 juvenile, neonate and adult mosquito specimens were sampled and trapped at 105 sites in Hamburg and its environs, of which about 60 % have been identified to species level, resulting in a total of 33 recorded species. Of these, Anopheles algeriensis, Culex modestus, Ochlerotatus caspius, Ochlerotatus nigrinus and Ochlerotatus sticticus are new to the area. The most common species in Hamburg are Culex pipiens/torrentium and Ochlerotatus annulipes/cantans. In contrast, two previously common species, Anopheles atroparvus and Ochlerotatus excrucians, were not detected. Despite substantial environmental changes due to reconstruction, urbanisation and renaturation in the Hamburg metropolitan region in recent decades, there has been remarkably little change within the mosquito fauna during the last century.