DNA BARCODING AS A MOLECULAR TOOL FOR VECTORS IDENTIFICATION – REVIEW

Abstract

Vector-borne diseases pose a serious threat to public health and animal husbandry and require special attention. Knowledge of the ecology of different insect species acting as vectors of multiple infectious agents will be crucial for the development and implementation of appropriate and effective vector control strategies to reduce the impact of the diseases they transmit. However, the main limitation is that morphological methods for identifying insect species are time consuming and require taxonomic expertise. Inaccurate identification of vector species can have a significant impact on attempts to control their populations. One of the remarkable achievements of modern biology and molecular diagnostic methods is the development of accurate and reliable technologies for rapid screening of DNA sequence variations. Molecular identification and DNA barcoding is a relatively new taxonomic method that can be used to identify a species, including an unknown one. Closely related or unknown species can be differentiated. DNA barcoding is a standardized approach to identifying plants and animals through minimal DNA sequences called DNA barcodes.