Abstract
The degree of contact of the vector and the vertebrate host is an important variable in determining the vectorial capacity of mosquito species for the arthropod-borne disease. This study conducted in Monufia Governorate, Egypt, to describe the mosquito community composition and species-specific host-feeding patterns. Mosquitoes were surveyed over a 2-years period and their host-feeding patterns were determined in relation to species relative abundance by polymerase chain reaction (PCR).This diagnostic technique was used to identify mammalian blood meals from female mosquitoes by sized DNA fragments following agarose gel electrophoresis. One universal reverse primer and five animal-specific forward primers included Human, Pig, Cow, Dog and Goat were used. Multiple blood meals from distinctive mammalian hosts were identified from single mosquito abdomens. Ninety-nine mosquito blood meals from four mosquito species were identified, 67.7% (67) were mixed blood. Both Cx. pipiens and Cx. antennatus fed on human and animals but feeding strategies differed from outdoors to indoors. Inside houses engorged female Cx. pipiens accounted for (94) 74% of collections and out of this, 53.8% fed on humans as single blood and 40% as mixed blood. However, outdoor, collected Ochlerotatus caspius constituted 7.1% of the collected females. Results suggested that, Cx. pipiens an important bridge of disease vector to humans in Egypt.
Highlights
Mosquitoes feed on a wide range of different vertebrate hosts such as human, monkeys, horses, camels, dogs, pigs, other ruminants, birds, etc
During the study, a total of 292 blood-fed mosquitoes representing four different species; Cx. pipiens, Cx. antennatus, and Cx. perexiguus were collected from all 5 villages where blood fed while, Ochl caspius was collected from one village only either outdoor and indoor (Table 2)
The obtained results indicated that, the prevalence of blood fed adult mosquitoes varied among the 5 study villages as a large number of mosquito species collected from Ganzor village, this is might due to the presence of suitable breeding sites water bodies creating a big pool of potential vector risks for filariasis and RVF in
Summary
Mosquitoes feed on a wide range of different vertebrate hosts such as human, monkeys, horses, camels, dogs, pigs, other ruminants, birds, etc. The host preference pattern of vector mosquitoes influences greatly the dynamics of transmission of infection in the community. Identifying the blood meal source is an important component to study the transmission dynamics (vector-host-pathogen interaction dynamics) and determining the role of different mosquito species that causing a biting nuisance to humans and animals (Mukabana et al, 2002). This identification has already been performed with the precipitin test, latex agglutination test, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) based on serological techniques (Delatte et al, 2010). The PCR technique is an additional method using mitochondrial DNA, which identifies a mosquito’s bloodmeal origin (Ngo and Kramer, 2003; Kent and Norris, 2005 and Townzen et al, 2008)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
