Tracking zoonotic pathogens using blood-sucking flies as 'flying syringes'.

Paul-Yannick Bitome-Essono,Flobert Njiokou,Céline Arnathau,Benjamin Ollomo,Boris Makanga,Franck Prugnolle,Larson Boundenga,Philippe Mbehang-Nguema,Alain-Prince Okouga,Judicaël Obame-Nkoghe,Nancy Diamella Mokoudoum,Lauriane Yacka-Mouele,Christophe Paupy,Virginie Rougeron,Patrick Durand,Francisco J Ayala ,Bertrand Mvé-Ondo ,François Bretagnolle ,François Renaud ,Diégo Ayala ,Rémi A Wattier

doi:10.7554/elife.22069

Abstract

About 60% of emerging infectious diseases in humans are of zoonotic origin. Their increasing number requires the development of new methods for early detection and monitoring of infectious agents in wildlife. Here, we investigated whether blood meals from hematophagous flies could be used to identify the infectious agents circulating in wild vertebrates. To this aim, 1230 blood-engorged flies were caught in the forests of Gabon. Identified blood meals (30%) were from 20 vertebrate species including mammals, birds and reptiles. Among them, 9% were infected by different extant malaria parasites among which some belonged to known parasite species, others to new parasite species or to parasite lineages for which only the vector was known. This study demonstrates that using hematophagous flies as 'flying syringes' constitutes an interesting approach to investigate blood-borne pathogen diversity in wild vertebrates and could be used as an early detection tool of zoonotic pathogens.

Highlights

Emerging and re-emerging human infectious diseases have increased in recent years
We investigated the possibility of using hematophagous flies as ‘flying syringes’ to explore the diversity of extant malaria parasites (Haemosporida) infecting wild vertebrates living in the forests of Gabon (Central Africa)
The blood meal origin was successfully identified in 33% and 43% of these flies, respectively (Table 1)

Summary

Introduction

Emerging and re-emerging human infectious diseases have increased in recent years. Around onefourth of the 1415 pathogens known to infect humans appeared between 1940 and 2004 and their appearance has gradually increased since 1980 (Taylor et al, 2001; Woolhouse and Gaunt, 2007; Jones et al, 2008; Daszak et al, 2004). Seven new pathogens appear every year and this number should reach 15–20 by 2020 (Woolhouse et al, 2008), mostly due to the growth of human activities that increase contact with novel sources of pathogens and favor their spread worldwide (Murray et al, 2015).

Methods

Results

Conclusion