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Investigating the blood-host plasticity and dispersal of Anopheles coluzzii using a novel field-based methodology
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Orsborne, James, Furuya-Kanamori, Luis, Jeffries, Claire L., Kristan, Mojca, Mohammed, Abdul Rahim, Afrane, Yaw A., O’Reilly, Kathleen, Massad, Eduardo, Drakeley, Chris, Walker, Thomas and Yakob, Laith (2019) Investigating the blood-host plasticity and dispersal of Anopheles coluzzii using a novel field-based methodology. Parasites & Vectors, 12 (1). 143 . doi:10.1186/s13071-019-3401-3 ISSN 1756-3305.
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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13071-019-3401-3
Abstract
Background
The biting behaviour and dispersal of insect vectors in the field underlies the transmission of many diseases. Here, a novel collection methodology coupled with the molecular analysis of blood-meal sources and digestion rates is introduced with the aim of aiding the understanding of two critical and relatively understudied mosquito behaviours: plasticity in blood-host choice and vector dispersal.
Results
A collection strategy utilising a transect of mosquito traps placed at 50 m intervals allowed the collection of blood-fed Anopheles coluzzii from a malaria-endemic village of southern Ghana where human host availability ranged from zero (a cattle pen), increasing until humans were the dominant host choice (the middle of the village). Blood-meal analysis using PCR showed statistically significant variation in blood-meal origins for mosquitoes collected across the 250 m transect: with decreasing trend in Bovine Blood Index (OR = 0.60 95% CI: 0.49–0.73, P < 0.01) and correspondingly, an increasing trend in Human Blood Index (OR = 1.50 95% CI: 1.05–2.16, P = 0.028) as the transect approached the village. Using qPCR, the host DNA remaining in the blood meal was quantified for field-caught mosquitoes and calibrated according to timed blood digestion in colony mosquitoes. Time since blood meal was consumed and the corresponding distance the vector was caught from its blood-host allowed the estimation of An. coluzzii dispersal rates. Within 7 hours of feeding, mosquitoes typically remained within 50 m of their blood-host but at 60 hours they had dispersed up to 250 m.
Conclusions
Using this methodology the remarkably small spatial scale at which An. coluzzii blood-host choice can change was demonstrated. In addition, conducting qPCR on host blood from field-caught mosquitoes and calibrating with timed experiments with colonised mosquitoes presents a novel methodology for investigating the dispersal behaviour of vectors. Future adaptations to this novel method to make it broadly applicable to other types of setting are also discussed.
Item Type: | Journal Article | ||||||
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Divisions: | Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Science > Life Sciences (2010- ) | ||||||
Journal or Publication Title: | Parasites & Vectors | ||||||
Publisher: | BioMed Central Ltd. | ||||||
ISSN: | 1756-3305 | ||||||
Official Date: | 25 March 2019 | ||||||
Dates: |
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Volume: | 12 | ||||||
Number: | 1 | ||||||
Article Number: | 143 | ||||||
DOI: | 10.1186/s13071-019-3401-3 | ||||||
Status: | Peer Reviewed | ||||||
Publication Status: | Published | ||||||
Access rights to Published version: | Open Access (Creative Commons) |
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