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Molecular Analysis of the Bloodmeals of Culex spp. Mosquitoes at Natural Habitats in Singapore to Investigate the Potential Risk of Japanese Encephalitis Virus and West Nile Virus Transmission
- Source :
- Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases. 20:703-714
- Publication Year :
- 2020
- Publisher :
- Mary Ann Liebert Inc, 2020.
-
Abstract
- Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) and West Nile virus (WNV) are arboviruses primarily transmitted by Culex spp. mosquitoes. Birds are the primary hosts for JEV and WNV. Recent WNV outbreaks in Europe and United States and their association with migratory birds highlight the importance of understanding the feeding host preference of potential vectors for outbreak preparedness, especially in nonendemic settings. Singapore is nonendemic to JEV and WNV, but is a stopover site for migratory birds of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway. Therefore, we elucidated the feeding host range of Culex spp. mosquitoes captured in four natural (bird) habitats in Singapore from January 2011 to December 2012. We characterized feeding host DNA in field-caught mosquitoes using a PCR sequencing-based assay targeting the mitochondrial gene regions. Of 22,648 mosquitoes captured, 21,287 belonged to the Culex vishnui subgroup. The host DNA analysis showed that mosquitoes from the Cx. vishnui subgroup are opportunistic biters, feeding on a range of birds and mammals. Cx. vishnui subgroup, Culex sitiens and Culex bitaeniorhynchus, was primarily ornithophagic, although they fed opportunistically on mammals, including humans. Culex gelidus and Culex quinquefasciatus, in contrast, fed mainly on mammals. The presence of ornitho- and anthropophilic mosquito vectors and susceptible avian and mammalian hosts poses a risk spill-over transmission of JEV and WNV among humans, should these viruses be introduced through migratory birds and establish persistent transmission in resident birds and animal hosts in Singapore.
- Subjects :
- 0301 basic medicine
Culex vishnui
Culex gelidus
Culex
viruses
fungi
030231 tropical medicine
virus diseases
Outbreak
Zoology
030108 mycology & parasitology
Japanese encephalitis
Biology
medicine.disease
biology.organism_classification
Microbiology
Culex quinquefasciatus
Culex bitaeniorhynchus
03 medical and health sciences
0302 clinical medicine
Infectious Diseases
Virology
parasitic diseases
Culex sitiens
medicine
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 15577759 and 15303667
- Volume :
- 20
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi...........6b252a1a095db6259ff53c590f145368