Mosquitoes in an Urban Zoo: Identification of Blood Meals, Flight Distances of Engorged Females, and Avian Malaria Infections.

Josué Martínez-De La Puente,Ramón Soriguer,Tomás Montalvo,Jordi Figuerola,Juan Carlos Senar,Rubén Bueno-Mari

doi:10.3389/fvets.2020.00460

Abstract

Zoological gardens are home to a large number of vertebrate species and as such are suitable sites for both mosquito breeding and maintenance. They are excellent places for entomological studies of mosquito phenology, diversity, and blood-feeding patterns, as well as for xenomonitoring. During 2016, we sampled mosquitoes in Barcelona Zoo and used molecular methods to determine their blood-feeding patterns and the prevalence and diversity of avian malaria parasites. We also estimated the flight distance of engorged mosquitoes in the area. Overall, 1,384 adult Culex pipiens s.l., Culiseta longiareolata, and Aedes albopictus were captured. Birds dominated the diet of Cx. pipiens s.l. (n = 87) and Cs. longiareolata (n = 6), while humans were the only blood-meal source of Ae. albopictus (n = 3). Mosquitoes had a mean flight distance of 95.67 m after feeding on blood (range 38.71–168.51 m). Blood parasites were detected in the abdomen of 13 engorged Cx. pipiens s.l., eight of which had fed on magpies. Four Plasmodium lineages and a single lineage of the malaria-like parasite Haemoproteus were identified. These results suggest that Cx. pipiens s.l. is involved in the local transmission of avian Plasmodium, which potentially affects the circulation of parasites between and within wildlife and enclosed animals. Vigilance regarding possible mosquito breeding sites in this zoo is thus recommended.

Highlights

Mosquitoes transmit a diversity of vector-borne pathogens affecting humans, livestock, and wildlife [1, 2]
This is the case of the invasive Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus, which is associated with the local transmission of pathogens such as filarioid worms (e.g., Dirofilaria spp.), protozoa, and viruses (e.g., Dengue virus) [4,5,6]
All the parasite lineages found in this study coincided with Plasmodium lineages: Delurb4 (n = 1), Delurb5 (n = 3), Syat05 (n = 1, corresponding to P. vaughani), SGS1 (n = 1, corresponding to P. relictum), and the Haemoproteus lineage hCIRCUM04 (n = 5, called BLUTI9)

Summary

Introduction

Mosquitoes transmit a diversity of vector-borne pathogens affecting humans, livestock, and wildlife [1, 2]. In addition to native species, invasive mosquitoes such as alien Aedes mosquitoes are involved in the circulation of both imported and locally circulating pathogens [3] This is the case of the invasive Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus, which is associated with the local transmission of pathogens such as filarioid worms (e.g., Dirofilaria spp.), protozoa (e.g., avian malaria parasites), and viruses (e.g., Dengue virus) [4,5,6]. This species has a broad global distribution and is present in countries outside its native range in America, Europe, Oceania, and Africa [7]. In Spain, Ae. albopictus was first recorded in 2004 in Catalonia and since has progressively colonized different parts of this region [8].

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Discussion

Conclusion