Abstract

Worldwide, emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) are a major burden on public and animal health. Arthropod vectors, with mosquitoes being the main contributors of global disease, transmit more than 70% of the recognized EIDs. To assess new alternatives for arthropod-borne viral diseases surveillance, and for the detection of new viruses, honey-baited Flinders Technology Associates (FTA) cards were used as sugar bait in mosquito traps during entomological surveys at the Llobregat River Delta (Catalonia, Spain). Next generation sequencing (NGS) metagenomics analysis was applied on honey-baited FTA cards, which had been exposed to field-captured mosquitoes to characterize their associated virome. Arthropod- and plant-infecting viruses governed the virome profile on FTA cards. Twelve near-complete viral genomes were successfully obtained, suggesting good quality preservation of viral RNAs. Mosquito pools linked to the FTA cards were screened for the detection of mosquito-associated viruses by specific RT-PCRs to confirm the presence of these viruses. The circulation of viruses related to Alphamesonivirus, Quaranjavirus and unclassified Bunyavirales was detected in mosquitoes, and phylogenetic analyses revealed their similarities to viruses previously reported in other continents. To the best our knowledge, our findings constitute the first distribution record of these viruses in European mosquitoes and the first hint of insect-specific viruses in mosquitoes’ saliva in field conditions, demonstrating the feasibility of this approach to monitor the transmissible fraction of the mosquitoes’ virome. In conclusion, this pilot viromics study on honey-baited FTA cards was shown to be a valid approach for the detection of viruses circulating in mosquitoes, thereby setting up an alternative tool for arbovirus surveillance and control programs.

Highlights

  • Worldwide, two-thirds of all recognized emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) are of viral origin [1], with arthropod-borne viruses being the causative agents of more than30% of them [2]

  • Batches of 13 Flinders Technology Associates (FTA) cards from peri-urban and of 23 FTA cards from rural biotopes linked to mosquito captures constituted two independent samples for metagenomics analysis

  • Visual inspections depicted blue abdomens in 21% and 39% of the captured mosquitoes, respectively, for peri-urban and rural biotopes, confirming that they had fed on the FTA cards while in the trap

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Summary

Introduction

Two-thirds of all recognized emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) are of viral origin [1], with arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) being the causative agents of more than30% of them [2]. Two-thirds of all recognized emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) are of viral origin [1], with arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) being the causative agents of more than. Viruses 2020, 12, 274 together with anthropic activities and climate change, has facilitated the dispersal of pathogenic agents (arboviruses included), their hosts and vectors, extending the risk to more and newer areas [4,5]. Since the increased incidence of dengue [6], Zika [7,8], chikungunya [9,10] and West Nile viruses [11], there is a growing interest in understanding the viral diversity harbored by arthropod vectors, and a rising necessity to develop more effective surveillance and monitoring tools for circulating viruses.

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