ABSTRACT

This study was designed to determine the potential vectors of Dirofilaria immitis by molecular techniques in Felahiye district of Kayseri. Mosquitoes were sampled from 11 points between June‐August 2008 and collected live samples were brought to laboratory. In order to allow the larval development, mosquitoes were incubated in in vitro conditions for seven days. After this mosquitoes were killed and species identifications were done. Among the totally collected 301 mosquitoes, 96 (31.9%) were belonging to Aedes vexans and 205 (68.1%) to Culex pipiens. Head‐thorax and abdomens of each sample were dissected to determine the infective and infected mosquitoes and totally 54 pools (2‐17 sample/pool) were constituted according to species and collected region. Genomic DNA was extracted from pools and analyzed by PCR using species specific primers. Dirofilaria immitis DNA was found in 2/54 of the pools formed with one head‐thorax and one abdomen pool of Ae. vexans. The minimum infection rate (MIRs) was calculated as 0.33 % in the study area. MIRs of 20 pools consisted from Ae. vexans was determined as 1.04 %. No filarial DNA was detected in 34 pools consisted from Cx. pipiens. Consequently, Ae. vexans was the active potential vector of D. immitis in the study area.