Phylogeographic Characterization of Aedes albopictus (Skuse, 1894) in Algeria
Fedwa Betka1,2, Younes Boukert1,2, Tahar Kernif2
1Laboratory of Biodiversity and Environment: Interactions, Genomes, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Science and Technology Houari Boumediene, Bab Ezzouar, 16111, Algiers, Algeria.
Purpose:
Aedes albopictus, known as the Asian tiger mosquito, is an extensively studied mosquito species recognized for its rapid global expansion and its capacity to transmit a range of viruses such as dengue, chikungunya, Zika, and yellow fever viruses. In 2010, Ae. albopictus was observed for the first time in Tizi-Ouzou, Algeria, and since then has colonized all the northern part of the country until the semi-arid areas. The present study was devoted to the molecular characterization of Ae. albopictus in Algeria.
Methods:
A total of 20 selected mosquitos,originated from collected eggs in five different districts of northern Algeria weretested by PCR amplification and sequencing of the Cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 a (COIa).
Results:
Pairwise alignment of the obtained sequences with representative Ae. albopictus available COIasequences of the world exhibit 117 different haplotypes. The Algerian sequences are grouped in 1 haplotype shared with Morroco, Madagascar and Mauritius in Africa and 3 other continents (Asia, Europe and America). Asia expresses the highest genetic and nucleotidic diversity (Hd = 0.828;π = 0.0144). In China two new species not described in the literature and confused with Ae. albopictus are detected.
Conclusion:
These results could be used as preliminary data to study and develop targeted control strategies to prevent this vector from spreading in Algeria.
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