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Blood-feeding patterns of #mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) collected in an area of high arbovirus transmission in West-Central Brazil
Abstract#mosquitoes target a wide range of vertebrate species for blood meal and study of these vector–host interactions enhances our knowledge of how vector-borne viruses are transmitted. In the last decades, West-Central Brazil has faced the emergence and reemergence of several arboviruses, with a great public health impact. In addition to the well-known #Aedes-borne viruses, such as dengue, Zika, and chikungunya, other arboviruses have spread throughout the country and constitute a continuous public health concern. We report results of blood meal analysis of #mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) collected in urbanized areas of West-Central Brazil during a Zika virus surveillance between 2017 and 2018. Amplification and sequencing of mitochondrial DNA were used to determine vertebrate origin. A total of 284 blood-engorged #mosquitoes belong to 6 genera and 12 species were collected. Of these, we successfully identified blood meal in 146 (51.4%). Collections of blood-fed individuals were dominated by species of #Culex (65.8%) and #Aedes (25.4%). Overall, blood meal profiles demonstrated that humans were the main source (56.8%). Despite anthropophilic preferences, #Aedes aegypti also fed on domestic (12.5%) and wild mammals (8.3%). #Culex spp. showed an ornithophilic pattern. Humans made up 80% (n = 20) of blood meals from #Aedes albopictus while 20% (n = 5) were from horses. Our results expand the knowledge regarding the vertebrate species used as hosts by #mosquitoes in urbanized areas of Brazil. The variety of vertebrate species, including rodents, bats, and humans used by the local #mosquitoes, highlights the continuous risk for spillover events.
