.png){kind=icon}
.png){kind=icon}
Return
Investigating Wolbachia presence in Anopheles punctulatus group from Papua, Indonesia: Limited evidence of natural infection with molecular markers
.png){kind=icon}
PRE
AI
R
S
N
E
H
I
DOI：10.1016/j.jip.2026.108563.png)
.png){kind=icon}
Original request for help.png){kind=icon}
Share.png){kind=icon}
Save
Abstract
En 中文
Papua, Indonesia, is an endemic region for malaria where the Anopheles punctulatus group serves as the primary vector. The endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia has shown promise as a biocontrol agent by manipulating host reproduction and inhibiting pathogen transmission, yet its presence in Papua's Anopheles mosquitoes remained undocumented. This study aimed to detect and genetically characterize Wolbachia infections in Anopheles punctulatus group mosquitoes collected from Keerom District, Papua. Among 1,071 specimens screened using nested PCR targeting 16S rRNA and wsp, 2.9% tested positive for Wolbachia, with An. punctulatus and An. koliensis showing intra-species infection rates of 4.6% and 2.5%, respectively. Phylogenetic analyses revealed the presence of Wolbachia supergroups A and B, suggesting multiple independent acquisition events. These findings provide preliminary molecular evidence of Wolbachia in Papua's malaria vectors and offer baseline data for evaluating its potential in vector control strategies.
Keywords:
Wolbachia
Anopheles punctulatus
Malaria
Papua
Indonesia
Journal
IF:
2.4
Papers:
3.7K
Citations:
7.3K
Organization
Cited Papers