Abstract
Japanese Encephalitis (JE) is the most important cause of human encephalitis in Southeast Asia, and this zoonosis is mainly transmitted from pigs to human by mosquitoes. A better understanding of the host-feeding preference of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) major vectors is crucial for identifying risk areas, defining bridge vector species and targeting adapted vector control strategies. To assess host-feeding preference of JE vectors in a rural Cambodian area where JE is known to circulate, in 2017, we implemented four sessions of mosquito trapping (March, June, September, December), during five consecutive nights, collecting four times a night (6 p.m. to 6 a.m.), and using five baited traps simultaneously, i.e., cow, chicken, pig, human, and a blank one for control. In addition, blood meals of 157 engorged females trapped at the same location were opportunistically analyzed with polymerase chain reaction (PCR), using cow, pig, human, and dog blood primers. More than 95% of the 36,709 trapped mosquitoes were potential JE vectors. These vectors were trapped in large numbers throughout the year, including during the dry season, and from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Despite the apparent host-feeding preference of Culex vishnui, Cx. gelidus, and Cx. tritaenhyorhincus for cows, statistical analysis suggested that the primary target of these three mosquito species were pigs. Dog blood was detected in eight mosquitoes of the 157 tested, showing that mosquitoes also bite dogs, and suggesting that dogs may be used as proxy of the risk for human to get infected by JE virus.
Highlights
Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a vector borne zoonosis and one of the world’s leading encephalitic diseases, in the Asia-Pacific region [1]
Several studies in Cambodia [14], Hong-Kong [15], Japan [16], Malaysia [17], Taiwan [18], Thailand [19], and Vietnam [20] have shown that Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) and JEV vectors can be found in peri-urban areas
Our results confirm the presence of a significant number of mosquito species present around human habitats
Summary
Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a vector borne zoonosis and one of the world’s leading encephalitic diseases, in the Asia-Pacific region [1]. The region hosts more than three billion people and the annual incidence of JE is estimated at about 67,900 cases in 24 countries [2]. JE is caused by the Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) belonging to the Flaviviridae family [3]. The historically described JEV cycle involves water birds as wild reservoir, pigs as amplifying hosts [4,5,6], and mosquito species as vectors [7,8]. Domestic birds are suspected to be secondary reservoir hosts [9,10,11]. Several studies in Cambodia [14], Hong-Kong [15], Japan [16], Malaysia [17], Taiwan [18], Thailand [19], and Vietnam [20] have shown that JEV and JEV vectors can be found in peri-urban areas
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