Harnessing the power of mosquito gut microbiome in disease control

Abstract

Mosquito-borne diseases pose an escalating threat to global public health, necessitating more effective strategies for vector control and disease prevention. Recent investigations into the mosquito gut microbiome unveil new avenues for symbiont-based control of mosquito-borne diseases, as it has been revealed that the mosquito gut microbiome has a profound impact on disease transmission. Accumulating evidence demonstrates that the mosquito gut microbiome plays a significant role in modulating infection by generating pathogen-targeting molecules, influencing the midgut physical barrier, shaping the biochemical environment, and regulating immune responses, and in mosquito ecology which affects disease transmission dynamics. Several proof-of-principle studies have explored some microbiome-based control measures, including supplementing the mosquitoes with microorganisms possessing anti-pathogen activities, immunizing hosts against pro-pathogen bacteria, and limiting mosquito larval development using bacteriophages. These strategies present promising efficacy, yet their practical implementation demands further scrutiny and assessment.