Host selection of potential West Nile virus vectors in Puerto Barrios, Guatemala, 2007

The selection of vertebrate hosts by Culex mosquitoes relative to West Nile virus (WNV) transmission in neotropical countries such as Guatemala is not described. This study determined the feeding patterns of Cx. quinquefasciatus and Cx. nigripalpus and estimated the relative contribution of two comm...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene 2013-01, Vol.88 (1), p.108-115
Main Authors: Kading, Rebekah C, Reiche, Ana Silvia Gonzalez, Morales-Betoulle, Maria Eugenia, Komar, Nicholas
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Birds - virology
Culex - virology
Guatemala
Insect Vectors
Quiscalus mexicanus
Turdus grayi
West Nile virus
West Nile virus - isolation & purification
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Summary:The selection of vertebrate hosts by Culex mosquitoes relative to West Nile virus (WNV) transmission in neotropical countries such as Guatemala is not described. This study determined the feeding patterns of Cx. quinquefasciatus and Cx. nigripalpus and estimated the relative contribution of two common and frequently infected wild bird species, Turdus grayi and Quiscalus mexicanus, to WNV transmission. Engorged mosquitoes were collected from rural and urban habitats after the dry and wet seasons in the Department of Izabal in 2007. Host selection by Cx. nigripalpus varied significantly between urban and rural habitats. Both Cx. quinquefasciatus and Cx. nigripalpus fed predominantly on chickens and other domestic animals. Blood meals from wild birds were rare, accounting for 1.1% of blood meals identified from Cx. quinquefasciatus and 6.5% of blood meals from Cx. nigripalpus. Transmission of WNV by these two mosquito species may be dampened by extensive feeding on reservoir-incompetent hosts.
ISSN:0002-9637
1476-1645
DOI:10.4269/ajtmh.2012.12-0223