Screening for Viruses and Lemur-Associated Filara in Wild-Caught Mosquitoes From Madagascar. Issue 2 (9th October 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Klein, Annette; Strube, Christina; Becker, Stefanie C; Naccache, Fanny
• Editors: Badolo, Athanase
• Is Part Of: Journal of medical entomology. Volume 58:Issue 2(2021)
• Page Start: 983
• Page End: 989
• Publication Date: 2020-10-09
• Subjects: mosquito flavivirus -- filarial nematode -- Ankarafantsika National Park; Insects as carriers of disease -- Periodicals; 616.968
• DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjaa194
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-2585

Abstract

Abstract: Madagascar is a hotspot of biodiversity, but poverty and population growth provoke a high risk of conflict between food security and biodiversity conservation in this tropical country. Numerous vector-borne diseases, including viral infections, affect public health in Madagascar and a continuous expansion of anthropogenically used areas intensifies contact on the human–wildlife interface. However, data on human and animal pathogens in potential insect vectors is limited. Therefore, we conducted a parasitological and virological survey of 785 adult female mosquitoes between March and May 2016 at the Ankarafantsika National Park in northwestern Madagascar. Screening included A lpha-, Phlebo -, and Flaviviridae and the recently described filarial nematode species, Lemurfilaria lemuris . The predominant mosquito genus was Culex (91%), followed by Mansonia (4.1%), Anopheles (3.4%), and Aedes (0.9%). Viral screening revealed no arboviruses, but an insect-specific flavivirus in two Culex sitiens pools. No pools screened positive for the lemur-specific filarial nematode L. lemuris . Graphical Abstract: