Host-feeding patterns of Culex mosquitoes in Iran

• Published in: Parasites & vectors 2018-12, Vol.11 (1), p.669-669, Article 669
• Main Authors: Shahhosseini, Nariman, Friedrich, Johannes, Moosa-Kazemi, Seyed Hassan, Sedaghat, Mohammad Mehdi, Kayedi, Mohammad Hassan, Tannich, Egbert, Schmidt-Chanasit, Jonas, Lühken, Renke
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Aquatic insects; Birds; Blood; Blood meal source; Blood meals; Bridges; Causes of; Culex - classification; Culex - genetics; Culex - physiology; Culicidae; Cytochrome; Cytochrome b; Cytochromes; Deoxyribonucleic acid; Dependence; Diptera; Disease transmission; Distribution; DNA; DNA barcoding; Encephalitis; Feeding; Feeding Behavior; Female; Gene sequencing; Health aspects; Host range; Host selection; Host species; Host-feeding pattern; Host-parasite relationships; Human diseases; Humans; Insect Bites and Stings - blood; Insect Bites and Stings - parasitology; Iran; Malaria; Mammals; Mosquito; Mosquito Vectors - classification; Mosquito Vectors - genetics; Mosquito Vectors - physiology; Mosquitoes; Parasites; Pathogens; Reptiles; Research methods; rRNA 16S; Species; Statistical analysis; Surveying; Trapping; Vector-borne diseases; Vectors; Viruses; Waterfowl; West Nile virus; Worms; Zoonoses
• ISSN: 1756-3305; 1756-3305
• DOI: 10.1186/s13071-018-3237-2

Different mosquito-borne pathogens are circulating in Iran including Sindbis virus, West Nile virus, filarioid worms and malaria parasites. However, the local transmission cycles of these pathogenic agents are poorly understood, especially because ecological data on vector species are scarce and there is limited knowledge about the host range; this understanding could help to direct species-specific vector control measurements or to prioritize research. In the summers of 2015 and 2016, blood-fed mosquitoes were collected at 13 trapping sites on the coast of the Caspian Sea in northern Iran and at an additional trapping site in western Iran. Mosquitoes were generally collected with either a Biogents Sentinel trap or a Heavy Duty Encephalitis Vector Survey trap installed outside. A handheld aspirator was used at the trapping site in western Iran, in addition to a few samplings around the other trapping sites. On average, eight trapping periods were conducted per trapping site. The sources of blood meals were identified using a DNA barcoding approach targeting the cytochrome b or 16S rRNA gene fragment. The source of blood meals for 580 blood-fed mosquito specimens of 20 different taxa were determined, resulting in the identification of 13 different host species (9 mammals including humans, 3 birds and 1 reptile), whereby no mixed blood meals were detected. Five mosquito species represented more than 85.8% of all collected blood-fed specimens: Culex pipiens pipiens form pipiens (305 specimens, 55.7% of all mosquito specimens), Cx. theileri (60, 10.9%), Cx. sitiens (51, 9.3%), Cx. perexiguus (29, 5.3%) and Anopheles superpictus (25, 4.6%). The most commonly detected hosts of the four most abundant mosquito species were humans (Homo sapiens; 224 mosquito specimens, 40.9% of all mosquito specimens), cattle (Bos taurus; 171, 31.2%) and ducks (Anas spp.; 75, 13.7%). These four mosquito species had similar host-feeding patterns. The only exceptions were a relatively high proportion of birds for Cx. pipiens pipiens f. pipiens (23.2% of detected blood meal sources) and a high proportion of non-human mammals for Cx. theileri (73.4%). Trapping month, surrounding area, or trapping method had no statistically significant impact on the observed host-feeding patterns of Cx. pipiens pipiens f. pipiens. Due to the diverse and overlapping host-feeding patterns, several mosquito species must be considered as potential enzootic and bridge vectors for diverse mosquito-borne path