Dose-Dependent Blood-Feeding Activity and Ovarian Alterations to PM2.5 in Aedes aegypti

• Published in: Insects (Basel, Switzerland) Switzerland), 2021-10, Vol.12 (10), p.948
• Main Authors: Phanitchat, Thipruethai, Ampawong, Sumate, Yawootti, Artit, Denpetkul, Thammanitchpol, Wadmanee, Napid, Sompornrattanaphan, Mongkhon, Sivakorn, Chaisith
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aedes aegypti; Air pollution; Air pollution effects; Animal health; arbovirus; Blood; Blood levels; blood-feeding; Body parts; Correlation analysis; Culicidae; Cytoplasm; Decay; Degeneration; Dengue fever; Disease control; Disease transmission; Dosage; Environmental chambers; Environmental health; Environmental stress; Feeding behavior; Feeding rates; Females; Insect control; Lipids; Mortality; Mosquitoes; Organs; Outdoor air quality; Ovaries; Particulate matter; PM2.5; pollution; Rainfall; Respiratory system; Test chambers; Vectors; Viruses
• ISSN: 2075-4450; 2075-4450
• DOI: 10.3390/insects12100948

High levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution are a concern for human health. Several studies have examined the effects of air pollution on human and animal health. However, there is a lack of knowledge about its effects on arbovirus vectors. Thus, we investigated whether PM2.5 concentration alters the blood-feeding activity of Ae. aegypti mosquitoes. We investigated the effect on the females’ propensity to blood feed at eight concentrations of PM2.5 ranging from 100 to 1000 μg/m3. Correlation analysis showed blood-feeding activity had a significant strong negative correlation with concentration of PM2.5 (rp = −0.85; p ≤ 0.00001). Exploratory linear and non-linear models showed an exponential decay relationship was the best fitting model (corrected Akaike’s information criterion, 193.0; Akaike’s weight, 0.766; adjusted R2, 0.780). Ultrastructural study demonstrated PM2.5 did not obstruct the respiratory system, but some fine particles were present on the antenna and abdominal body parts. Ovaries showed a dose–response relationship between PM2.5 level and vacuolated degeneration. In conclusion, the blood-feeding behavior of Ae. aegypti females may have an exponential decay relationship with PM2.5 level, and their ovaries may demonstrate dose-dependent degeneration. These findings may be important in understanding the vector’s biology and disease transmission in settings with high PM2.5 levels. These results are important to understand blood-feeding and feeding pattern of mosquitoes during PM2.5 pollution, which is important for disease transmission and vector control.