Analyses of Mosquito Species Composition, Blood-Feeding Habits and Infection with Insect-Specific Flaviviruses in Two Arid, Pastoralist-Dominated Counties in Kenya
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Published:2023-07-24
Issue:7
Volume:12
Page:967
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ISSN:2076-0817
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Container-title:Pathogens
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language:en
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Short-container-title:Pathogens
Author:
Ogola Edwin O.12ORCID, Bastos Armanda D. S.2ORCID, Rotich Gilbert1, Kopp Anne3, Slothouwer Inga3, Omoga Dorcus C. A.12ORCID, Sang Rosemary1, Torto Baldwyn12, Junglen Sandra3, Tchouassi David P.1ORCID
Affiliation:
1. International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), Nairobi P.O. Box 30772-00100, Kenya 2. Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag 20, Pretoria 0028, South Africa 3. Institute of Virology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Free University Berlin, Humboldt-University Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Chariteplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
Abstract
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 Mansonia (Ma.) africana. The genome was sequenced by next-generation sequencing (NGS), confirming 95.8% nucleotide sequence identity to CuCuV detected in Mansonia 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 Aedes aegypti, Anopheles gambiae s.l., Ma. africana and Culex (Cx.) univittatus, 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.
Funder
German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Germany German Academic Exchange Service Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft Wellcome Trust International Intermediate Fellowship CAP-Africa Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research Government of the Republic of Kenya Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
Subject
Infectious Diseases,Microbiology (medical),General Immunology and Microbiology,Molecular Biology,Immunology and Allergy
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