Abstract
BackgroundIn the northeast United States (U.S.), mosquitoes transmit a number of arboviruses, including eastern equine encephalitis, Jamestown Canyon, and West Nile that pose an annual threat to human and animal health. Local transmission of each arbovirus may be driven by the involvement of multiple mosquito species; however, the specificity of these vector-virus associations has not been fully quantified.MethodologyWe used long-term surveillance data consistently collected over 18 years to evaluate mosquito and arbovirus community composition in the State of Connecticut (CT) based on land cover classifications and mosquito species-specific natural histories using community ecology approaches available in the R package VEGAN. We then used binomial-error generalized linear mixed effects models to quantify species-specific trends in arbovirus detections.Primary resultsThe composition of mosquito communities throughout CT varied more among sites than among years, with variation in mosquito community composition among sites explained mostly by a forested-to-developed-land-cover gradient. Arboviral communities varied equally among sites and years, and only developed and forested wetland land cover classifications were associated with the composition of arbovirus detections among sites. Overall, the avian host arboviruses, mainly West Nile and eastern equine encephalitis, displayed the most specific associations among mosquito species and sites, while in contrast, the mammalian host arboviruses (including Cache Valley, Jamestown Canyon, and Potosi) associated with a more diverse mix of mosquito species and were widely distributed throughout CT.ConclusionsWe find that avian arboviruses act as vector specialists infecting a few key mosquito species that associate with discrete habitats, while mammalian arboviruses are largely vector generalists infecting a wide diversity of mosquito species and habitats in the region. These distinctions have important implications for the design and implementation of mosquito and arbovirus surveillance programs as well as mosquito control efforts.
Highlights
Arboviruses of zoonotic origin continue to cause considerable morbidity and mortality in the United States (U.S.) [1]
We find that avian arboviruses act as vector specialists infecting a few key mosquito species that associate with discrete habitats, while mammalian arboviruses are largely vector generalists infecting a wide diversity of mosquito species and habitats in the region
All pools are screened for any arboviral infection using virus isolation techniques in Vero cell culture, and cultures positive for cytopathic effect are tested for a suite of arboviruses, including equine encephalitis virus (EEEV), West Nile virus (WNV), Cache Valley virus (CVV), Highlands J virus (HJV), Jamestown Canyon virus (JCV), Potosi virus (POTV), Trivittatus virus (TVTV), La Crosse virus (LACV), and Flanders virus (FLAV) using RT-PCR techniques [26]
Summary
Arboviruses of zoonotic origin continue to cause considerable morbidity and mortality in the United States (U.S.) [1]. The invasion and range expansion of Aedes albopictus (Skuse) as well as the resurgence of Aedes aegypti L. in the continental U.S have increased the potential for introduction and local transmission of dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses, all of which currently circulate in tropical U.S territories [6]. As mosquitoes and their viruses continue to traverse the globe and emerge in unpredictable ways, the U.S is expected to face an increasing arboviral public health burden in its future [7]. Local transmission of each arbovirus may be driven by the involvement of multiple mosquito species; the specificity of these vector-virus associations has not been fully quantified
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