Identification of Mosquito Bloodmeals Collected in Diverse Habitats in Malaysian Borneo Using COI Barcoding

Land cover and land use change (LCLUC) acts as a catalyst for spillover of arthropod-borne pathogens into novel hosts by shifting host and vector diversity, abundance, and distribution, ultimately reshaping host–vector interactions. Identification of bloodmeals from wild-caught mosquitoes provides i...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Katherine I. Young, Joseph T. Medwid, Sasha R. Azar, Robert M. Huff, Hannah Drumm, Lark L. Coffey, R. Jason Pitts, Michaela Buenemann, Nikos Vasilakis, David Perera, Kathryn A. Hanley
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2020-04-01
Series:Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2414-6366/5/2/51
Description
Summary:Land cover and land use change (LCLUC) acts as a catalyst for spillover of arthropod-borne pathogens into novel hosts by shifting host and vector diversity, abundance, and distribution, ultimately reshaping host–vector interactions. Identification of bloodmeals from wild-caught mosquitoes provides insight into host utilization of particular species in particular land cover types, and hence their potential role in pathogen maintenance and spillover. Here, we collected 134 blood-engorged mosquitoes comprising 10 taxa across 9 land cover types in Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo, a region experiencing intense LCLUC and concomitant spillover of arthropod-borne pathogens. Host sources of blood were successfully identified for 116 (87%) mosquitoes using cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) barcoding. A diverse range of hosts were identified, including reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals. Sixteen engorged <i>Aedes albopictus</i>, a major vector of dengue virus, were collected from seven land cover types and found to feed exclusively on humans (73%) and boar (27%). <i>Culex tritaeniohynchus</i> (n = 2), <i>Cx. gelidus</i> (n = 3), and <i>Cx. quiquefasciatus</i> (n = 3), vectors of Japanese encephalitis virus, fed on humans and pigs in the rural built-up land cover, creating potential transmission networks between these species. Our data support the use of COI barcoding to characterize mosquito–host networks in a biodiversity hotspot.
ISSN:2414-6366