Analyses of mosquito species composition, blood-feeding habits and infection with insect-specific flaviviruses in two arid, pastoralist-dominated counties in Kenya
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Date
Authors
Ogola, Edwin
Bastos, Armanda D.S.
Rotich, Gilbert
Kopp, Anne
Slothouwer, Inga
Omoga, Dorcus Caroline Achieng
Sang, Rosemary
Torto, Baldwyn
Junglen, Sandra
Tchouassi, David P.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
MDPI
Abstract
Insect-specific flaviviruses (ISFs), although not known to be pathogenic to humans and
animals, can modulate the transmission of arboviruses by mosquitoes. In this study, we screened
6665 host-seeking, gravid and blood-fed mosquitoes for infection with flaviviruses and assessed the
vertebrate hosts of the blood-fed mosquitoes sampled in Baringo and Kajiado counties; both dryland
ecosystem counties in the Kenyan Rift Valley. Sequence fragments of two ISFs were detected. Cuacua
virus (CuCuV) was found in three blood-fed Mansonia (Ma.) africana. The genome was sequenced
by next-generation sequencing (NGS), confirming 95.8% nucleotide sequence identity to CuCuV
detected in Mansonia sp. in Mozambique. Sequence fragments of a potential novel ISF showing
nucleotide identity of 72% to Aedes flavivirus virus were detected in individual blood-fed Aedes
aegypti, Anopheles gambiae s.l., Ma. africana and Culex (Cx.) univittatus, all having fed on human blood.
Blood-meal analysis revealed that the collected mosquitoes fed on diverse hosts, primarily humans
and livestock, with a minor representation of wild mammals, amphibians and birds. The potential
impact of the detected ISFs on arbovirus transmission requires further research.
Description
DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT : Sequences generated were deposited to GenBank under accession
numbers OQ588802–OQ588805, OQ588808–OQ588810 and OQ588812, and Sequence Read Archive
(SRA) under the accession number PRJNA995362. Other data presented in the study are available in
the article and as supplements.
SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL : FIGURE S1: Classical insect-specific flaviviruses (cISFs) distance matrix.
SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL : FIGURE S1: Classical insect-specific flaviviruses (cISFs) distance matrix.
Keywords
Arbovirus surveillance, Mosquitoes, Blood-fed, Flavivirus, CuaCua virus, Kenya, Insect-specific flaviviruses (ISFs), SDG-03: Good health and well-being, SDG-15: Life on land
Sustainable Development Goals
SDG-03:Good heatlh and well-being
SDG-15:Life on land
SDG-15:Life on land
Citation
Ogola, E.O.; Bastos, A.D.S.;
Rotich, G.; Kopp, A.; Slothouwer, I.;
Omoga, D.C.A.; Sang, R.; Torto, B.;
Junglen, S.; Tchouassi, D.P. Analyses
of Mosquito Species Composition,
Blood-Feeding Habits and Infection
with Insect-Specific Flaviviruses in
Two Arid, Pastoralist-Dominated
Counties in Kenya. Pathogens 2023,
12, 967. https://DOI.org/10.3390/pathogens12070967,