Analysis of arthropod bloodmeals using molecular genetic markers

• Published in: Trends in Parasitology 2002-11, Vol.18 (11), p.505-509
• Main Authors: Mukabana, Wolfgang R, Takken, Willem, Knols, Bart G.J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Anopheles - metabolism; Arthropods; Biological and medical sciences; Blood - parasitology; bloodmeal analysis; DNA Fingerprinting; DNA markers; DNA profiling; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genetic Markers; human; Humans; Insect Vectors - metabolism; Laboratorium voor Entomologie; Laboratory of Entomology; Medically important nuisances and vectors, pests of stored products and materials: population survey and control; Microsatellite Repeats; mosquito; PE&RC; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; Vectors. Intermediate hosts
• ISSN: 1471-4922; 1471-5007
• DOI: 10.1016/S1471-4922(02)02364-4

Little is known about the transmission dynamics of human malaria and other vector-borne diseases, partly because of the limited availability and distribution of appropriate tools for quantifying human–mosquito contact rates. Recent developments in molecular biology have allowed a significant increase in the efficacy and reliability of bloodmeal identification, and DNA-based molecular markers are now being harnessed for typing arthropod bloodmeals. The extent to which these markers have been used for analysis of mosquito bloodmeals and the potential they might have for the future is discussed, and the contributions that the advent of PCR has made are examined here. Recently, molecular techniques were developed to identify individual (human) hosts of blood-feeding arthropods. Here, Mukabana, Takken and Knols review the state of the art of these techniques and specifically, how reliable and sensitive they are for use in the field.