Analyses of Mosquito Species Composition, Blood-Feeding Habits and Infection with Insect-Specific Flaviviruses in Two Arid, Pastoralist-Dominated Counties in Kenya
Insect-specific flaviviruses (ISFs), although not known to be pathogenic to humans and animals, can modulate the transmission of arboviruses by mosquitoes. In this study, we screened 6665 host-seeking, gravid and blood-fed mosquitoes for infection with flaviviruses and assessed the vertebrate hosts...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-07-01
|
| Series: | Pathogens |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/12/7/967 |
| _version_ | 1797587870949572608 |
|---|---|
| author | Edwin O. Ogola Armanda D. S. Bastos Gilbert Rotich Anne Kopp Inga Slothouwer Dorcus C. A. Omoga Rosemary Sang Baldwyn Torto Sandra Junglen David P. Tchouassi |
| author_facet | Edwin O. Ogola Armanda D. S. Bastos Gilbert Rotich Anne Kopp Inga Slothouwer Dorcus C. A. Omoga Rosemary Sang Baldwyn Torto Sandra Junglen David P. Tchouassi |
| author_sort | Edwin O. Ogola |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Insect-specific flaviviruses (ISFs), although not known to be pathogenic to humans and animals, can modulate the transmission of arboviruses by mosquitoes. In this study, we screened 6665 host-seeking, gravid and blood-fed mosquitoes for infection with flaviviruses and assessed the vertebrate hosts of the blood-fed mosquitoes sampled in Baringo and Kajiado counties; both dryland ecosystem counties in the Kenyan Rift Valley. Sequence fragments of two ISFs were detected. Cuacua virus (CuCuV) was found in three blood-fed <i>Mansonia</i> (<i>Ma.</i>) <i>africana</i>. The genome was sequenced by next-generation sequencing (NGS), confirming 95.8% nucleotide sequence identity to CuCuV detected in <i>Mansonia</i> sp. in Mozambique. Sequence fragments of a potential novel ISF showing nucleotide identity of 72% to Aedes flavivirus virus were detected in individual blood-fed <i>Aedes aegypti</i>, <i>Anopheles gambiae</i> s.l., <i>Ma. africana</i> and <i>Culex</i> (<i>Cx.</i>) <i>univittatus</i>, all having fed on human blood. Blood-meal analysis revealed that the collected mosquitoes fed on diverse hosts, primarily humans and livestock, with a minor representation of wild mammals, amphibians and birds. The potential impact of the detected ISFs on arbovirus transmission requires further research. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T00:44:56Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7e4b2bdeb1a24484b13232d2d4dd02cb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-0817 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T00:44:56Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Pathogens |
| spelling | doaj.art-7e4b2bdeb1a24484b13232d2d4dd02cb2023-11-18T20:51:35ZengMDPI AGPathogens2076-08172023-07-0112796710.3390/pathogens12070967Analyses of Mosquito Species Composition, Blood-Feeding Habits and Infection with Insect-Specific Flaviviruses in Two Arid, Pastoralist-Dominated Counties in KenyaEdwin O. Ogola0Armanda D. S. Bastos1Gilbert Rotich2Anne Kopp3Inga Slothouwer4Dorcus C. A. Omoga5Rosemary Sang6Baldwyn Torto7Sandra Junglen8David P. Tchouassi9International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), Nairobi P.O. Box 30772-00100, KenyaDepartment of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag 20, Pretoria 0028, South AfricaInternational Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), Nairobi P.O. Box 30772-00100, KenyaInstitute of Virology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Free University Berlin, Humboldt-University Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Chariteplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, GermanyInstitute of Virology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Free University Berlin, Humboldt-University Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Chariteplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, GermanyInternational Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), Nairobi P.O. Box 30772-00100, KenyaInternational Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), Nairobi P.O. Box 30772-00100, KenyaInternational Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), Nairobi P.O. Box 30772-00100, KenyaInstitute of Virology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Free University Berlin, Humboldt-University Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Chariteplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, GermanyInternational Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), Nairobi P.O. Box 30772-00100, KenyaInsect-specific flaviviruses (ISFs), although not known to be pathogenic to humans and animals, can modulate the transmission of arboviruses by mosquitoes. In this study, we screened 6665 host-seeking, gravid and blood-fed mosquitoes for infection with flaviviruses and assessed the vertebrate hosts of the blood-fed mosquitoes sampled in Baringo and Kajiado counties; both dryland ecosystem counties in the Kenyan Rift Valley. Sequence fragments of two ISFs were detected. Cuacua virus (CuCuV) was found in three blood-fed <i>Mansonia</i> (<i>Ma.</i>) <i>africana</i>. The genome was sequenced by next-generation sequencing (NGS), confirming 95.8% nucleotide sequence identity to CuCuV detected in <i>Mansonia</i> sp. in Mozambique. Sequence fragments of a potential novel ISF showing nucleotide identity of 72% to Aedes flavivirus virus were detected in individual blood-fed <i>Aedes aegypti</i>, <i>Anopheles gambiae</i> s.l., <i>Ma. africana</i> and <i>Culex</i> (<i>Cx.</i>) <i>univittatus</i>, all having fed on human blood. Blood-meal analysis revealed that the collected mosquitoes fed on diverse hosts, primarily humans and livestock, with a minor representation of wild mammals, amphibians and birds. The potential impact of the detected ISFs on arbovirus transmission requires further research.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/12/7/967arbovirus surveillancemosquitoesblood-fed<i>Flavivirus</i>CuaCua virusKenya |
| spellingShingle | Edwin O. Ogola Armanda D. S. Bastos Gilbert Rotich Anne Kopp Inga Slothouwer Dorcus C. A. Omoga Rosemary Sang Baldwyn Torto Sandra Junglen David P. Tchouassi Analyses of Mosquito Species Composition, Blood-Feeding Habits and Infection with Insect-Specific Flaviviruses in Two Arid, Pastoralist-Dominated Counties in Kenya Pathogens arbovirus surveillance mosquitoes blood-fed <i>Flavivirus</i> CuaCua virus Kenya |
| title | Analyses of Mosquito Species Composition, Blood-Feeding Habits and Infection with Insect-Specific Flaviviruses in Two Arid, Pastoralist-Dominated Counties in Kenya |
| title_full | Analyses of Mosquito Species Composition, Blood-Feeding Habits and Infection with Insect-Specific Flaviviruses in Two Arid, Pastoralist-Dominated Counties in Kenya |
| title_fullStr | Analyses of Mosquito Species Composition, Blood-Feeding Habits and Infection with Insect-Specific Flaviviruses in Two Arid, Pastoralist-Dominated Counties in Kenya |
| title_full_unstemmed | Analyses of Mosquito Species Composition, Blood-Feeding Habits and Infection with Insect-Specific Flaviviruses in Two Arid, Pastoralist-Dominated Counties in Kenya |
| title_short | Analyses of Mosquito Species Composition, Blood-Feeding Habits and Infection with Insect-Specific Flaviviruses in Two Arid, Pastoralist-Dominated Counties in Kenya |
| title_sort | analyses of mosquito species composition blood feeding habits and infection with insect specific flaviviruses in two arid pastoralist dominated counties in kenya |
| topic | arbovirus surveillance mosquitoes blood-fed <i>Flavivirus</i> CuaCua virus Kenya |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/12/7/967 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT edwinoogola analysesofmosquitospeciescompositionbloodfeedinghabitsandinfectionwithinsectspecificflavivirusesintwoaridpastoralistdominatedcountiesinkenya AT armandadsbastos analysesofmosquitospeciescompositionbloodfeedinghabitsandinfectionwithinsectspecificflavivirusesintwoaridpastoralistdominatedcountiesinkenya AT gilbertrotich analysesofmosquitospeciescompositionbloodfeedinghabitsandinfectionwithinsectspecificflavivirusesintwoaridpastoralistdominatedcountiesinkenya AT annekopp analysesofmosquitospeciescompositionbloodfeedinghabitsandinfectionwithinsectspecificflavivirusesintwoaridpastoralistdominatedcountiesinkenya AT ingaslothouwer analysesofmosquitospeciescompositionbloodfeedinghabitsandinfectionwithinsectspecificflavivirusesintwoaridpastoralistdominatedcountiesinkenya AT dorcuscaomoga analysesofmosquitospeciescompositionbloodfeedinghabitsandinfectionwithinsectspecificflavivirusesintwoaridpastoralistdominatedcountiesinkenya AT rosemarysang analysesofmosquitospeciescompositionbloodfeedinghabitsandinfectionwithinsectspecificflavivirusesintwoaridpastoralistdominatedcountiesinkenya AT baldwyntorto analysesofmosquitospeciescompositionbloodfeedinghabitsandinfectionwithinsectspecificflavivirusesintwoaridpastoralistdominatedcountiesinkenya AT sandrajunglen analysesofmosquitospeciescompositionbloodfeedinghabitsandinfectionwithinsectspecificflavivirusesintwoaridpastoralistdominatedcountiesinkenya AT davidptchouassi analysesofmosquitospeciescompositionbloodfeedinghabitsandinfectionwithinsectspecificflavivirusesintwoaridpastoralistdominatedcountiesinkenya |